Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Baile An Chnocáin (tc Cill Chuain)

Internal diam. 24m NE-SW, 25.8m NW-SE This roughly circular cashel is one of a series of such settlements located along the lower W slopes of Brandon mountain. The enclosing wall averages 1m in height and 1.5m in width but reaches a maximum external height of 1.7m at W and NW. The lower 2 to 3 courses incorporate fairly large stones, averaging .75m x .45m, while those in the upper courses are considerably smaller, c. 0.25 x .1m. At 3 points around the perimeter there are marked triangular projections, but there is no evidence to suggest that these are not contemporary with the remainder of the wall. To W the wall forms part of the present field boundary system and the field walls in the vicinity do not differ in construction from that of the cashel. A 7.5m wide gap at NE probably housed the original entrance. Its E side is now collapsed and the W side may have been modified as the facing merges, without break, with that of the field wall which extends NNE then E from the enclosure. The ruins of 3 structures are traceable in the interior, all closely grouped in the E half. (1) The interior slopes gently downhill to NW, but the SE sector has been built up slightly, probably to create a level platform for the construction of the stone hut here. The edge of the terrace can be traced for 9.2m from the S wall of the enclosure and is revetted with drystone masonry averaging .5m in height. The outline of the hut, particularly its inner face, is obscured by collapse, but the outer face is traceable along the E half of the structure and for a short distance at W. The wall is a maximum of .9m high internally and 1.35m externally. A small lintelled niche, .45m wide, .5m high and .18m deep, occurs in the inner face at E, .16m above the present ground level. The entrance at NE is represented by a .7m wide gap now faced on its NW side only. (2) A semi-circular structure, 6m in diameter, occurs below the terrace, immediately NW of the hut. Internally the wall stands to a height of 1m but the outer face is less well preserved being only .2m high on average. There is no visible trace of a continuation of the wall to W and it may never have been a full circle. As only 1 hut is shown on the OS maps and mentioned in the OSM, perhaps this is a more recent addition to the site. (3) Between the circular hut and the enclosure wall to S, there is a sub-rectangular area, 4m long, defined to E and W by collapsed walling, to S by the cashel wall and to N by drystone walling, 2 courses high. This may be the remains of another hut. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 537. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013