Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On top of a small conical knoll, in mature woodland within the Coolavin estate. A circular area (27m N-S; 27.3m E-W) enclosed by a substantial drystone wall (Wth 4.3m; int. H 2m; ext. H 2.5m) incorporating in its internal face flights of stairs, terracing, a mural chamber and a souterrain (SL046-034002-). The wall (Wth 5m) of roughly coursed sandstone slabs and blocks survives to a height of 2m with a maximum external height of 2.5m at N dictated by the steeper fall of ground on that side of the knoll. The lower courses of the external wall-face incorporate very large blocks of stone. A plain entrance passage (Wth 1.75m) with traces of stone paving extends through the wall at SE. Flanking the S side of the entrance is a flight of steps, beginning at a height of 0.7m above the base of the wall, leading to the top of the wall. At SSE a flight of steps rises to a narrow terrace or wall-walk (Wth 0.57m; 0.7m below top to wall) that follows the curve of the wall to SSW where it slopes down gently and ends in a short dilapidated series of steps. The wall-walk begins again almost immediately and continues to W ending in a paired arrangement of lateral steps. The N flight of the pair leads to a very short length of wall-walk ending in a second pair of stairs. At the base of the wall between the two pairs of stairs there is a low lintelled opening giving access to a mural passage or souterrain (SL046-034002-). There is another flight of steps to the top of the wall at NNW and paired flights at NE. Flanking the N side of the entrance a low lintelled opening (Wth 0.72m; H 0.55m; T1.1m) gives access to the S end of a lintelled mural chamber (L 3.15m N-S; Wth 0.85m; H 1.43m). The interior of the cashel is level and raised above the base of the wall. An opening to a second souterrain (SL046-034003-) occurs in the surface in the W half of the interior. A trench-like depression (Wth c. 1.5m; D 0.6m), contiguous with the internal wall-face, dug to the base of the wall, is continuous around the circuit of the interior, except for short breaks at SW and at W in the vicinity of the souterrains (SL046-034002-; SL046-034003-). According to Harbison (1992, 291), 'this fine stone fort ... was partially rebuilt in the 19th century'.
This is a National Monument in state care (no. 159).

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