Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on a SE-facing slope. Indicated on the 1914 OS 6-inch map as a circular enclosure with two deciduous trees in the interior. Described in 1994 as a circular area (int. diam. 20m N-S; 21.1m E-W) defined by remnants of a sod-covered stone wall (Wth 3.9m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 0.2m) (SMR (1989) file). Subsequently further damage to the cashel has occurred. A field boundary wall now crosses the interior on a ENE-WSW axis, slightly S of centre and there are now no visible remains of the cashel at ground level on the S side of this wall, apart from an area of rough ground which extends 6m to S. On the N side of the wall a semicircular area (c. 15m N-S; c. 24m E-W) is defined by a low sod-covered rise (Wth c. 3m; ext. H 0.35m) WSW-NW and NE-ENE. Mature beech trees grow along both of these rises and stones are evident in places under the roots of the trees. A depression (Wth 1.5-2m; D 0.2m) on the internal side of the enclosing rise WSW-NW, terminating at its NW end in a large heap of stones, was possibly used to facilitate the recent removal of stones. The N two-thirds of the interior are level while the S third sloped down to SE. There is a souterrain (SL046-012002-) in the NW quadrant.

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