What is recorded here

Westropp measured the fallen lintel and sketched the upright slabs before the hazel thickened, proving the fort belonged to humans rather than fairies. The stone wall still stands at the ravine edge, its entrance narrow enough to force every visitor into a single file. Perhaps the underground passage he described vanished under soil and root, or perhaps it never existed beyond a local story repeated until it became fact. Either way the fort kept its shape while the valley forgot the names of the people who built it.

On the floor of Poulacarran Valley in hazel wood, at the W edge of a NE-SW ravine (H c. 5m). Hachured on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. This hazel-covered subcircular cashel (20.5m E-W; 19.6m N-S) is defined by a stone wall (Wth c. 1.2m; int. H 0.6-0.8m; ext. H 1-2m). The outer wall-face (Wth 0.7-1.2m), made of horizontally laid stones, rises 0.4-1m above the rest of the wall; it is best preserved at N and E, while at W it has been rebuilt with loose drystone walling. The lower courses of the outer wall-face and the entire inner wall-face are obscured by stone spill (total Wth 3-4.5m). The entrance (Wth 0.9m) at NNE is lined by upright stone slabs (H 1.2-1.45m; Wth 1.2m; T 0.3-0.6m). Westropp (1898, 363) recorded a fallen lintel (L 1.72m; Wth 0.91m; T 0.45m) here. He (ibid.) also described an annexe enclosure adjoining the cashel at N, with a “Man-made underground passage”, perhaps the cause for Robinson (1977) also recording a Man-made underground passage in this cashel. However, no such features were identified on inspection in 1997. The following image has been uploaded: CL009-213002-_01.jpg Drawing of entrance (Westropp 1898, 362) Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 12 April 2022

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