Ringfort (Cashel), Kelshabeg, Co. Wicklow

Co. Wicklow |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Cashel), Kelshabeg, Co. Wicklow

At the foot of Keadeen Mountain in south County Wicklow, a circular stone enclosure sits quietly on a gentle westward slope, with marshy ground pressing in from below.

What makes it worth a second look is the layering of its construction: not one perimeter wall but two, one built outside the other along the south-east arc, suggesting that whoever lived or worked here at some point decided the original boundary was not sufficient, or perhaps needed reordering.

The site is a cashel, the term used for a ringfort built from stone rather than the earthen banks more commonly seen across Ireland. Ringforts in general were the farmsteads of early medieval Ireland, typically enclosing a family's dwelling and outbuildings within a defended perimeter. This one measures roughly 27.5 metres in diameter, its main wall constructed with a rubble core and small boulders forming low inner and outer faces, a technique known as revetment. In several places the wall has slumped or collapsed, spreading to nearly twice its original width. The secondary wall along the south-east, built with an inner stone facing and terminating in what is described as a cusped entrance feature at the east, was clearly added after the original enclosure was established. A gap in the boulders at the south-south-west may mark where people originally passed in and out. Inside, sitting slightly east of centre, is a rectangular drystone structure about seven metres by six, with its own entrance facing south. Drystone construction means no mortar was used; the walls hold together through the careful placement of stone alone.

The site sits where cultivable slope meets boggy ground, which is a pattern seen repeatedly in early medieval settlement across upland Ireland. The marshy area to the west would have been a practical boundary in itself, and the mountain rising behind provides a natural frame. The two-phase construction, with an entrance arrangement that was clearly rethought at some point, gives the place a biographical quality, a sense of a settlement that was adapted over time rather than built all at once and abandoned.

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), Kelshabeg, Co. Wicklow. 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