Caherbannagh — Formoyle East

Prominently sited on leading W edge of a terrace of rough grazing at the SW foot of Gleninagh Mountain overlooking the Caher Valley and River. Hachured on the 1842 OS 6-inch map and indicated and named ‘Caherbannagh’ on the 1915 ed. ‘Caherbannagh’ was ascribed to a possible rectangular cashel (CL002-026----) c. 240m NW on the 1842 ed. of the 6-inch OS map. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). A very poorly preserved subcircular cashel (int. dims. 27.5m N–S; 26.3m E–W) defined by a low grassed-over stony bank (Wth 2–3m; int. H 0.2–0.6m; ext. H 0.1–0.8m) with an arc (L 5m) of outer facing-stones, surviving from W to WNW. A shallow rectangular depression (L 1.3m; Wth 1.1m; D 0.3–0.4m) in the NW may mark the site of a souterrain. A later field wall runs on its bank from W to E. A now completely denuded ringfort (CL002-029----) is located c. 120m S and two possible ‘rectangular cashels’ (CL002-026---- and CL002-027----) are located c. 140m NW and 240m NW. In 1839, O’Donovan (Comber 1997) recorded Caherbannagh as ‘Cathair Beannach, i.e., the Pinnacled Caher’ as being already in a ruinous state. Westropp (1901, 7–8) argued that it ought to be called ‘Caheragh’ as it appears as ‘Cathrach’ in the O'Brien’s rentals, c. 1390 and as Cahera in the Inquisition of Donough Earl of Thomond’s death, in 1597. He also related a poem written by Hugh MacCurtain (Aodh Buidhe Mac Cruitín 1680-1755) in which it occurs: ‘Thou melancholy singing dove on yonder blackened ‘doon', Dismal and defenceless is the ruin on which you perch, The ruin of the noble pinnacled house of the descendant of Roigh’. It is unclear whether the above refer to this cashel or to CL002-026---- as they are both named Caherbannagh on different editions of the OS 6-inch maps. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 2 December 2020