Site of Fort — Ballyheeragh (caslane)

Straddling the Mayo/Galway border, utilising a low natural rise in gently undulating pasture. Sheltered by a low elongated hillock c. 15m to S−SE. Views are good over an extensive sweep of undulating grassland. A hillfort (GA015-016----) crowns a ridge on the far horizon to NE. A slightly raised circular area (26.7m N−S; c. 25m E−W) defined on its perimeter on the N half by a broadly slumped slope (H 1.4m; Wth slope 4-5m), and on the S half by a scarp topped with traces of a wall/stone bank (Wth c. 2m). A broad gap or terrace (Wth 4.3m at N, 5.8m at S) separates this central raised area from an outer enclosing bank/wall, evident on the N half as a low sod-covered stony bank (Wth 3.5m; int. H 0.15m; ext. H 0.5m) and on the S half as a scarp (ext. H 1m) with a low stony lip (Wth c. 3m) in parts. The diameter of the outer ring is c. 45m. A field wall (the county boundary) crosses the ringfort centrally on an ENE−WSW axis, and another field wall extends to SW from this through the S half. Slight remains of other walls radiate from the inner ring across the terrace to the outer ring on the S half of the ringfort. These internal divisions may be related to relatively recent modification of the site as a rectangular vernacular building -probably a late 19th-century house- is shown abutting the outer NE edge of the ringfort on the 25-inch plan (it is not shown on the 1838 or 1915 OS 6-inch maps). A remnant of this building is incorporated into a present day NE−SW field wall. Relict cultivation ridges are discernible in the field immediately to SE of the ringfort. Long grass and thistles obscured much detail and hampered inspection of the ringfort. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 10 August 2023