Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Carrowneden (costello By., Aghamore Par.)

In average pasture, on a rise in undulating limestone terrain, with good views. Roughly circular area (c. 30m NE–SW; 25-30m NW–SE) defined by a dilapidated stone bank/wall which survives as a low sod-covered stony rise (Wth 3-3.5m; H 0.4-0.5m), topped with loose boulders, most of which appear to be field clearance. At NE–E remnants of a field wall on a NNE–SSW axis, removed elsewhere in the field, overlie the cashel wall. When inspected in 1998, a large heap of field clearance debris obscured much of the enclosing wall and part of the interior on the S arc, but during an previous inspection (SMR file 1984), an outer wall facing of large stones was visible at SSE–SSW. There is no clearly defined entrance gap. The interior, which is not noticeably raised relative to exterior ground level, has an uneven, stone-strewn surface, with several stony rises and hollows evident, the largest being a shallow depression (c. 4m NE–SW; 2-3m NW–SE) in the E half. In the SW quadrant, an area of surface collapse reveals a lintelled opening to a souterrain (MA093-007002-). A field wall/property boundary, on a ENE–WSW axis, crosses the cashel to SE of centre. The cashel interior is dotted with thistles and small blackthorn scrub; the perimeter is ringed with brambles, and hawthorn and blackthorn scrub, and with several heaps of field clearance stone. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 14 June 2022