Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Achonry

In pasture, in gently undulating terrain on a natural elevation defined on the SE edge by a short length of exposed limestone rock face. Ground falls away to E−S, and more gently at SW. The steepest slope is at SE−S, dropping into a small valley of flat damp ground beyond which ground rises again. Knocknashee is clearly visible on the N skyline. Forestry plantations now cover much of the surrounding landscape. A possible enclosure (SL032-235002-) lies immediately to N. This cashel is not shown on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps; it is visible in aerial imagery. According to local information, it is traditionally known as ‘Cashleen’ and the field is known as the ‘Cashel field’. The remains are ephemeral and difficult to trace at ground level. The cashel was originally roughly circular (28m N−S; 28-29m E−W) but the enclosing wall cannot now be traced on the W half, where it has been replaced by a N−S rubble field wall (Wth 1m; H 0.5-1m). On the E half, the outline of the original enclosing wall is defined at NE−SW by a moss-covered scarp from which occasional stones protrude; the scarp is most pronounced (H 2m, Wth slope 3m at SE; H 1.2m, Wth slope 2m at S) at SE−S where it merges with and is enhanced by the natural break of slope. At SE it incorporates the vertical bedrock face (H 1.2m L 2m). At NW-N the cashel appears to been truncated by possible enclosure (SL032-235002-). The cashel interior slopes down slightly from N to S−SE. This drop in level is accentuated in the SE quadrant by a low mossy scarp which extends from the enclosing scarp at E in a shallow curve across the interior, terminating at its W end (roughly in the centre of the cashel) in a low heap (4m N−S; c. 2m E−W) of stones, obscured by sod, brambles and a hawthorn bush. Immediately to W of this, a subrectangular area (10m N−S; 7m E−W) is divided off in the SW quadrant by a barely discernible E−W linear rise on the N and E sides, by the cashel scarp at S and by the N−S field wall on the W side. The cashel is grass-covered with a few hawthorn bushes on the scarp at S. An enclosure (SL032-187----) is located 340m to NNE and two ringbarrow (SL038-005----; SL038-006----) are 300m to SE. Attached images: SL032-235001-_01.jpg Viewed from E SL032-235001-_02.jpg Viewed from SE SL032-235001-_03.jpg Viewed from S Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 16 September 2022