Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Ballynahown

On slightly raised ground in flat rocky landscape overgrown with scrub and with limited visibility, except to the W where the ocean is visible. Within an extensive field system extending across Knockaunsmountain (CL004-027001-). Hachured on the 1915 OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). Named ‘Cahermoyle’ by Westropp (1905, 344 and 348) and described as ‘the largest of the forts’ (int. dims. 45.72m) in the area. The cashel is described as ‘crossed by a long boundary wall’ and ‘so entirely overthrown as to be indescribable’ (ibid.). A roughly circular, overgrown cashel (est. dims. c. 45m N-S; c. 37m E-W) defined by a bank of stone and earth which is well preserved between SSE and SSW (Wth 3-4.5m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 1-1.2m) and from SSW to W (Wth 2m; int. H 0.2-0.4m; ext. H 0.2-0.4m). A drystone wall (H c. 0.8m) is built along the line of the inner wall-facing at SSE. The bank may have been removed from W to NNE and between NNE and SSE the bank is overgrown and imperceptible. Outer facing-stones are visible at S (H 0.45m) and SW (H c. 0.5-0.9m). The interior of the site is uneven and rises (H 1.2m) above outer ground level from SSW to W. A later field wall cuts through the centre of the cashel from NNE to SSW and on the SSE perimeter of the cashel, an old boundary wall extends to the SSE. A cashel (CL004-063----) is located 100m to the SSW and another cashel (CL004-087----) is located c. 80m to the NW. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 30 November 2022