Cashel — Coolnaha South

In pasture, located on top of a ridge, straddling the break of slope, with excellent views overlooking rolling grassland to W and to E-SE a broad expanse of bog, now under forestry. This ecclesiastical enclosure is not shown on 1838 OS 6-inch map; it is indicated as ‘cashel’ on the 1916 edition. It is recorded in an aerial photograph (GSI M 553 –2; Roll 214, pr. 6; SMR file). It is largely incorporated into a later system of drystone field walls, and is skirted at E by a farm track. Broadly oval enclosure (114.9m E–W; 87.4m N–S) defined SW–NE by a low stone bank/wall topped by a later field wall, and ENE–ESE by a scarp (Wth slope 1.4m; H 0.6m) cut into the hill slope. The stone bank survives as a broad, low stony rise (Wth c. 2.5m) which protrudes from beneath the later field wall (Wth 0.7m; H 0.8m). The scarp at E is defined on top by a rough line of stones protruding from the sod. The interior is generally level, except in the E quarter where it slopes down to the E reflecting the natural slope of the ridge. The interior encloses a ringfort (MA093-014005-) in the NW quadrant and a children’s burial ground (MA093-014002-) and a bullaun stone (MA093-014003-) in the E half. Slight remnants of a bank or wall extend from the W corner of the children’s burial ground to W across the interior of the ecclesiastical enclosure, and a similar wall extends S from the S corner to meet a field wall that extends to S from the ecclesiastical enclosure. According to local tradition, there is also a souterrain (MA093-014007-) within the ecclesiastical enclosure. A holy well (MA093-014006-) is located c. 20m to ESE at the base of the ridge, and adjacent to this is a possible horizontal-wheeled mill (MA093-072---). Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 14 June 2022