Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on level ground at the top of a N-facing slope overlooking a low-lying expanse of damp pasture. A spring at the base of the slope to S is the location for a holy well (SL044-047001-) adjacent to which is a leacht cuimhne (SL044-04702-) with a cross-slab (SL044-047003-). A slightly raised oval area (54.5m E-W; 41.4m N-S) enclosed by a ruined stone wall (Wth 4-4.5m; int. H 0.25m; ext. H 1.2m). The wall is especially low and poorly preserved NE-SE. Stones protrude randomly from the sod cover but a few large stones visible in places N-NE may be the remains of stone facing. Loose field-clearance stones and boulders are heaped on top of the wall around its circuit. There is a large break (Wth 6m) in the wall at WNW. The interior is slightly elevated in the NE quadrant with a very slight slope from there down to SE and SW. At S the outer edge of the wall is incorporated into a substantial roughly coursed drystone field wall (Wth 2.2m; H 1.8) on an E-W axis. Where the field wall intersects (L c. 10m) with the cashel, it is constructed of larger stones than elsewhere along its length. A possible limekiln (SL044-048002-) is built into the external face of the cashel wall at N.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008