Indicated — Caherbullog

On the E-facing slope of a rocky ridge in rough grazing, with improved pasture to the SE, with commanding views from N to SE, and within a large field system (CL004-016001-). Indicated on both the first edition (1840) and Cassini edition (1915) of the OS 6-inch map. Referred to by O’Donovan (1839) as ‘Caher-Bolg’ where there are ‘two cahers together in the Townland to which they give name’ (Comber 1997, 71). Described by Westropp (1900-1902, 423) as ‘a coarsely built, featureless ring wall’ [diam. c.30.48m; wall T c.3.35m; H c.2.13m) with the ‘Foundations of huts’ in the interior. Also described by Westropp (1901, 15-16) as ‘coarsely built with two faces and small filling’ with ‘two looped enclosures in the garth, and two of those puzzling little huts’ [int. dims. c. 0.91-1.52m). A subcircular area (28.3m NE-SW; 26.5m NW-SE) is defined by a substantial wall with inner and outer facing stones (Wth 3.3m at SSE) which is best preserved from S-W-NNW. The enclosing wall is lowest in the SSE and from W to N and widest in the NNE (Wth 4.5m; int. H 1.5m). The outer wall facing (max. H 2m in SE) is constructed of medium sized, undressed stones which form an irregular wall face with a base batter near the N, and appears to have been rebuilt S-W-NNW. The inner wall face is best preserved from ESE to SSE (H 1.5m) and is constructed of smaller, irregular slabs which form an uneven and sometimes sharp wall face, part of which may also have been rebuilt. There is a poorly defined gap at NNW (Wth c. 2m) and a second and later gap at SSE (Wth c. 0.8m) within which two courses of the outer wall facing stones (H 0.5m) survive. In the interior, banks of stone and earth are visible in the E, W and S quadrants and a small pit which may be a kiln and which appears to be modern is located to the W of the centre. A later stone structure (est. dims. c. 4.6m; c. 2.4m) abuts the external perimeter of the cashel in the N and is set within a larger, rectangular enclosure (est. dims. L c. 13m; Wth c. 5m). Field walls abut the perimeter of the cashel at ESE and NW. References Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare, John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Ennis. Clasp Press. Westropp, T.J. 1900-1902 The Cahers of County Clare: Their Names, Features, and Bibliography. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 6, 415-449. Westropp, T.J. 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare, part 1. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 1-17. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 30 September 2022