Caheridoula — Cahermacnaghten

On a gently undulating karst plateau in rough pasture, within a large multiperiod field system (CL009-001001-), on a W-facing slope overlooking a shallow glacial depression that runs E–W, c. 400m to the SW. Hachured on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps, and on the 1897 ed. of the OS 25-inch map. The name ‘Caheridoula’ was incorrectly given to this enclosure on the 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map (FitzPatrick 2008, 64). The name should be associated with a cashel (CL009-001017-) c. 220m to the NE, as recorded from local sources by Westropp (Comber 1999, 154) and Macnamara (1912-13, 64). A small, poorly preserved figure-of-eight-shaped enclosure (14.5m E–W; 7.5m N–S), orientated E–W and defined by a collapsed stone wall (av. Wth c. 2m; int. H 0.2–0.6m; ext. H 0.6–1.1m) built of slabs. These are mostly set with their long axes pointing inwards and there is no visible entrance. The interior slopes gently down toward the E. Westropp proposed that this was ‘an ancient dwelling, […] evidently a house and forecourt, with an outer yard’ (Comber 1999, 154). This enclosure marks the western edge of that Caheridoula settlement’s lands (‘1/3 quarter denomination’), where they met the leith sheisre of Cahermacnaghten (FitzPatrick 2008, 64). The latter cashel (CL009-001010-) lies 530m to the WSW. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 12 October 2021