What is recorded here

Castle is a 30m ringwork in Ashfort, built in the 12th century, not a ringfort. Audrey Gahan excavated it in 1997 and 1998 before road works, finding a U-shaped ditch, redeposited bank soil, two whetstones and part of a rotary quern. The post-holes suggest no large building, perhaps only a small defended dwelling where someone sharpened tools, ground grain and watched the road before roads had names.

This monument was excavated in 1997 and 1998 by Audrey Gahan, ADS (97E0285), in advance of the N20/N21 Adare-Anacotty road scheme. She described the monument as c. 30m diam, with a still extant bank measuring in places 1m above present ground level. Sections excavated through the ditch showed it to be roughly U-shaped and on average 4.2m wide and 1.5m deep. It was filled to a large extent by slippage from the bank and no organic remains were recovered. A sherd of medieval pottery was recovered from the fill. The bank was composed of redeposited subsoil, almost certainly upcast from the ditch construction. Within the bank, two whetstones and part of a rotary quern were recovered. Internal features consisted of a scatter of post-holes, which indicated no apparent structure. She suggests the site may be a ringwork rather than a ringfort and therefore date to the 12th century. (http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Limerick&id=1304) Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 24 April 2013

Built during the early medieval period, likely by a local lord or Gaelic chieftain for defensive purposes. The site is important as it provides archaeological evidence of early fortification techniques in the region.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.