What is recorded here

Caherlissaniska is a stone ringfort perched on a karst knoll where the land drops fifteen metres into a valley, marking a boundary between human fields and raw earth. Its coarse wall still stands beside a later drystone addition, while a fallen lintel lies across the narrow entrance like a threshold nobody bothered to replace. The name Cathair Lios an Uisce hints at water hidden beneath the stone, suggesting the fort guarded more than livestock.

On a karst knoll under thin grass cover at the edge of a plateau, within a large multiperiod field system (CL009-030001-), with land to E sloping almost vertically (H c. 15m) into a valley, and also sloping very steeply to S. Hachured and named ‘Caherlissaniska’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Labelled ‘Cathair Lios an Uisce’ on Robinson’s (1977) map. This suboval cashel (28.2m N–S; 22.9m E–W) is defined by a stone wall (Wth 1.7–2m; H 1–2m). The outer wall-face is visible, while a bank of stone (Wth c. 1.5–2.1m; H 0.6–1m) rests against and now mostly obscures the wall’s inner face (Westropp 1911, 356). The outer wall-face is generally ‘of good, coarse work’ (ibid.), with a vertical join at SW. A later drystone wall is built on top of the outer wall-face of the cashel. The entrance (ext. Wth 1.3m) lies at the SSW, and narrows toward the cashel interior. Westropp (ibid., 357) estimated the gateway’s height (1.8m), described the east pier of the entrance as still intact, and recorded its probable lintel (L c. 2m; H 0.9m; T 0.13–0.15m) lying on the ground at the entrance. Westropp (ibid.) also mentions an unlined gap, not visible during an inspection in 1998, in the N of the cashel wall, providing access to the adjoining annexe enclosure (CL009-045002-). Adjacent to the cashel at the SW are the walls of a possible coeval field (c. 21m N–Sm; c. 17m E–W), in the SW corner of which lies a hut site (CL009-045003-). A megalithic structure (CL009-045004-) lies c. 52m to the N of the cashel. A cashel (CL009-049----) lies c. 216m to the ENE and another cashel (CL009-169----) lies c. 255m to the WSW. Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 25 January 2022

Caherlissaniska, Eantybeg North is a ringfort situated on a karst knoll, likely dating to the early medieval period, and is associated with the broader landscape of multiperiod settlements in the region. Local folklore, common to many such sites in Ireland, may link it to fairies or ancient druidic activity, though specific traditions are not recorded.

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