Cashelgal Fort

In rough pasture, located on a low hillock. A road skirts the NW side of the hillock. This cashel is named ‘Cashelgal Fort’ on the 1838 and 1919 OS 6-inch map. Slightly raised, circular area (31m NE-SW; c. 32m NW–SE) defined by the remains of a drystone wall. The wall (Wth c. 3m) is low, dilapidated and largely sod-covered. The external wall face retains its basal two to three courses (max. H 0.8m), consisting of large stone blocks, but has collapsed above this level. The internal wall face (H 0.1m) is almost entirely collapsed or robbed, reduced to a low, sod-covered spread of loose stone, almost flush with interior ground level, with inner edge marked by a low, discontinuous line of sod-covered stones; at NNE–E it has a raised, sod-covered stony rim. A later field wall, on a NE–SW axis, crosses the E–SE edge of the cashel, overlying the inner wall face. There is a berm-like stony embankment or scarp (max. Wth 3.5m) outside the wall at SSW–NW. At the SW a small, semi-circular area (Wth 2m) has been quarried out of this scarp. The entrance may have been at the ENE where there is a gap (Wth c. 2m) in the enclosing wall, now partly obscured by the overlying field wall. Much of the E half of the level interior is engulfed in blackthorn, and hazel trees grow around the perimeter. There is a ringfort (MA073-019----) c. 300m to NE. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 June 2021