Ringfort (Cashel), Cragbwee, Co. Clare

Co. Clare |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Cashel), Cragbwee, Co. Clare

What makes this small stone enclosure quietly arresting is less its size than its thickness.

The circular wall enclosing this cashel, a type of stone-built ringfort common across Ireland's rocky western landscapes, measures over six metres from outer face to inner face at its base, which is a remarkable mass of drystone construction for an enclosure barely twenty-two metres across. The walls still stand to a height of 1.25 metres on the exterior, and there is surviving evidence of careful stone facing along the interior wall top on the eastern side, suggesting this was not simply a functional boundary but a structure built with some deliberateness and craft.

The cashel sits on a gently south-facing slope at Cragbwee in County Clare, set within improved pasture with pockets of native woodland to the west and northwest, and forestry to the east. An entrance gap, three metres wide, opens to the north, which is an unusual orientation given that most such enclosures tend to favour southerly or easterly approaches. Inside, the ground is uneven, broken up by rock outcrops and loose stones, and slopes gently toward the west-southwest. Particularly interesting is a section of collapsed drystone wall, about eight metres long and two and a half metres wide, that curves away from the main enclosing wall at the south-southwest. The ground between this fallen inner wall and the main enclosure appears noticeably sunken, hinting at the possible outline of an internal structure, perhaps a small building or compartment, now largely dissolved back into the hillside.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Ringfort (Cashel), Cragbwee, Co. Clare. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement