Cahermaclanchy

On a natural flat platform at the top of a low but prominent knoll, in an area of rough pastureland and limestone pavement with wide views of the coast to the NW as well as over a local relict field system (CL008-016001-), which lies within a larger multiperiod field system (CL008-109001-). Hachured and labelled as 'Cahermaclanchy' on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Labelled as 'Cathair Mhic Fhlanchaí' on Robinson's (1977) map. This subcircular cashel (46.6m N-S; 45.4m E-W) is defined by a much-collapsed wall (Wth 2.5-6.5m) consisting of core material with outer wall-facing. The latter survives intermittently and is two to three courses high (H 0.6-0.7m); no trace of it is visible from E to S where a later field wall has been built outside cashel. Some of the material of the cashel wall may have been reused the construction of this wall. The interior rises towards the centre and varies in height from the outer ground level from 2m at SW to 1.1m elsewhere. From E-SE the inner edge of the wall has been quarried away and large slabs and intermittently visible lengths of drystone walling in the ground suggests the presence of a possible collapsed Man-made underground passage (CL008-016008-). A roughly NNE-SSW running line of boulders in the SE quadrant may be the remains of an internal division or the field wall shown on the OS 6-inch maps. There is another cashel (CL008-016005-) c. 74m to the N. (Westropp 1905, 355; 1915, 55) The following image has been uploaded: CL008-016004-_01.jpg View from NNW Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 24 August 2022

Cahermaclanchy is a ringfort situated on a natural flat platform at the top of a low, prominent knoll, likely dating to the early medieval period and used as a defensive or agricultural settlement. Local tradition associates such sites with the "good people" or fairies, reflecting the common Irish folklore that links ringforts to supernatural inhabitants.