Ringfort (Cashel), Loch An Iúir, Co. Donegal
Co. Donegal |
Ringforts
On a southeast-facing slope above Lough Anure in County Donegal sits the site of what was likely once a cashel, a type of stone-built ringfort common throughout Ireland.
Though nothing remains visible today, this small circular enclosure appeared on the 1907 Ordnance Survey map and was locally known as 'Dún', the Irish word for fort. Interestingly, it didn't feature on earlier maps from 1835, suggesting it may have already been in poor condition by the 19th century.
Local tradition connects this lost fortification to a significant clash between two of medieval Ireland's most powerful dynasties. In 1435, the O'Neills and O'Donnells met in a large-scale battle somewhere in this area, part of their ongoing struggle for control over Ulster. Whether the cashel served as a defensive position during the conflict or predated it entirely remains uncertain, though its strategic position overlooking the lough would have made it a valuable military asset.
The site's final chapter came around the year 2000, when the last remaining traces of the structure were reportedly covered over. Before this, some upstanding remains were still visible, offering a tangible link to this contested landscape's turbulent past. Today, only local memory and old maps preserve the existence of this once-important stronghold, a reminder of how many archaeological sites across Ireland have been lost to time and development.