Enclosure in Reechestown,shortcastle (ardfinnan Par.)

On top of the NE edge of a NW-SE ridge, in undulating terrain, under pasture. Monument depicted on the 1st (1840) and 1904-05 ed. OS 6-inch map as a roughly circular enclosure (diam. c. 38m N-S; c. 39m E-W), the E-S-SW portion of which is enclosed by a bank which also acts as a townland boundary, running NE-SW. In 1957 the site was inspected for inclusion in Land Project works and was deemed to be a 'small field or garden' (OPW files, 24th April 1957). The site was subsequently levelled. Only the NW quadrant survives as a curving earthen field boundary with a high stone content (Wth 1.4m crest, 2m base; int. H 0.7m; ext. H 0.9m) and slight trace of an external fosse (Wth 1.7m; D 0.3m). A farm house located c. 40m to the NE has been largely demolished. The depiction on the enclosure on the OS 6-inch maps and the fact that the townland boundary kinks out to respect it, would suggest that is was a ringfort which was probably later used as a small field. On the 1840 6-inch OS map a lime kiln is depicted c. 14m NNW of the monument. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 10 February 2014