Cashel — Kilcashel

In pasture, prominently sited on an E-W ridge, with a steep fall of ground to S-SW and excellent views in all directions. This cashel (National Monument No. 619) consists of a circular area (int. diam. 30m E-W; 29m N-S) enclosed by a substantial drystone wall (Wth 3-4m; int. H 2-2.5m; ext. H 3m, 4m at SSW). The wall stands to a fairly uniform height, with the greatest external height at S-SW dictated by the natural fall of ground. The basal three to four courses are composed of massive blocks, with upper courses of medium-sized stones and slabs horizontally laid in fairly even courses, giving the appearance of a smooth, well constructed finish to both the interior and exterior wall faces. The wall is lowest (ext. H 2m) at E where there is an entrance passage (L 3.5m) through the thickness of the wall. A single roofing lintel remains in situ at the outer end of the passage. The passage narrows from the exterior (ext. Wth 1.5m) toward the interior (int. Wth 0.85m) where the opening is flanked by rounded corners merging seamlessly with the internal wall face. The floor of the entrance passage is paved with large slabs. A pair of opposing lateral stairs is built into the internal wall face 1m to S of the entrance. The S flight is best preserved, with six in situ steps; only the three lowest steps remain in the N flight. The stairs lead to the remains of a parapet walkway, which is now largely collapsed, or obscured by overgrowth. At W, directly opposite the entrance, there are two low lintelled openings at the base of the wall, each leading into a short lintel-roofed creepway (L c. 1m E−W). The creepways open into either end of a lintel-roofed, mural passage (Wth 0.85m; L 9.3m; H 1.38m), which extends N-S through the thickness of the cashel wall. The S end of the mural passage ends at its junction with the S creepway, but the N end of the passage extends for 1.5m beyond the junction with N creepway, ending in a rounded or curving wall face, a space now largely infilled with stones. There is what appears to be a partly collapsed recess (W c. 0.7m; D. 0.7m; H 0.6m) in the W wall of the passage, close to the S end. There is a souterrain (MA073-030003-) in the SW quadrant of the cashel interior, and in the centre of the interior, two roughly circular concentrations of stones, set 1m apart, may be the remains of houses (MA073-030002-; MA073-030005-). Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 29 November 2017