Caldragh Fort — Ballynacloy (costello By.)

In undulating pasture, located at the break of slope on the SW side of a knoll, with extensive views in all directions. Named ‘Calragh Fort’ on the 1838 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps. A circular area (diam. c. 42m NE–SW) enclosed by a ruined drystone wall. The wall survives as a low, sod-covered stony rise (W c. 3m; H 0.5m) with remnants of stone facing, one course high, visible intermittently on the external face around the circuit and at NE on the internal face. Stone tumble from the wall is evident on the steep W slope of the knoll. A later field wall overlies the cashel wall on the S arc. Set c. 3m inside the cashel wall, a low, poorly defined scarp (H c. 0.5m), stony in parts, can be traced in a semi-circular curve SE−W. It is not clear if this represents remnants of an inner enclosing element or merely the natural contours of the knoll on which the cashel is sited. The level interior surface is uneven and strewn with stones through-out. In the SW quadrant, a roughly square area (6.5m N–S; c. 8m E-W) is distinguished by a greater concentration of stones, mostly small to medium-sized, barely protruding from ground, some clearly set upright. This may be a children’s burial ground (MA082-011001-). From the W side of this feature a linear depression (Wth 1.3m; D 0.45m), stony in parts, extends for 12m to S to the cashel wall; it is engulfed in overgrowth and difficult to examine. Slightly NW of centre, a wall-like setting (Wth c. 0.8m; H 0.3m) of stones describes an arc (diam. c. 8m) curving NNW–SE. A stony linear feature/possible wall (Wth 0.6m; H 0.2m) extends from the cashel wall at N for 9m to S through the interior. There is no clearly defined entrance to the cashel but, given the contours of the surrounding terrain, it is most likely to have been on the E or SE side. Dense blackthorn scrub obscures much of the interior, impeding examination; hawthorn trees grow around the perimeter. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 17 December 2021