Cahermacnaghten Stone Fort

On level ground in the centre of Cahermacnaghten townland on the Burren plateau with higher ground c. 500m to N and S. This lies within a very large field system outlined on the RMP (1996) covering c. 12km square and stretching from Lissylisheen, 2km to the SE to Lisdoonvarna 5km to the W (CL009-001001-/CL005-116---*/CL008-045001*). FitzPatrick (2008, 58-9) notes that this cashel, known as ‘Cathair Mhic Neachtain’ is named in a document of 1606 as the ‘ceann áit’ of the ‘leith sheisre (half quarter)’ of Cahermacnaghten. FitzPatrick continues ‘The cashel itself can be interpreted as the residence of the Ó Dábhoireann brehon in the first instance, possibly as early as the twelfth century and probably by 1364 when the Uí Dhábhoireann were established as ollamhs in north Clare … . It was home to both Aodh and Cosnamhach Ó Dábhoireann in the early seventeenth century after they divided the contents of the “ceann áit” between them including a partible division of the houses within the cashel [see CL009-001012- and CL009-001049- to CL009-001052-]. As part of that land division process, the “leith sheisre” itself was also irrevocably split into two “ceathrú mír” in 1606… . Whether the cashel was ever actually used as the location for the law school of the brehon line cannot be answered at this time, but the distinctive late medieval building known as “Cabhail Tighe Breac”, sequestered in the southwestern end of the “leith sheisre” has many attributes that might lend themselves to that purpose.’ [see CL009-001009- for Cabhail Tighe Breac]. This cashel has the designation ‘Site of O’Loughlin’s Castle’ on the OS first edition 6-inch map but according to FitzPatrick (ibid., 59) this is in error and is likely to refer to the castle in Ballymahony townland (CL009-014002-) a short distance to the S.

This is a circular cashel (ext. diam. 38.8m; int. diam. 33.8m) with an entrance at E. The walls (Wth 1.7-3.3m; ext. H 1.8m at W to 2.5m at E) have an external batter all around and are built with roughly squared large blocks of limestone with a rubble core. Vertical joints can be seen on the outer face varying from 2 to 5m apart. The interior ground level is raised almost to the top of the surviving walls suggesting a long period of habitation. FitzPatrick (2009, 291-2) describes the entrance as follows: ‘The entrance consists of a small external lobby area that leads into the ground floor (2.55 by 2.50m) of what was formerly a modest two-storey gatehouse. The gatehouse projects westward slightly beyond the internal line of the cathair wall into the garth of the site. Its walls are built of large and small, very roughly coursed blocks of flat-bedded facing stones with a rubble and mortar core that would have been standard in late-medieval wall construction. Two roughly hewn, punch-dressed corbels project out from the N wall. These and two former correspondents on the opposite S wall supported beams that carried a timber upper floor.’ FitzPatrick (ibid.) also noted a very large cut and punch-dressed bowed arch-stone in an adjacent boundary and noted that a pair of cut and punch-dressed arch-stones from a semi-pointed doorway were found in topsoil in the field to the W in 2006.

A punch-dressed hanging eye was noted as still being in position in 1902 (Macnamara 1912-12, 67). Foundations of 5 houses can be made out arranged around the perimeter. The largest house (CL009-001012-) lies S of centre and the grass-covered foundations of two other houses (CL009-001049- and CL009-001050-) are aligned E-W in the N quadrant, 3m apart. Two other houses (CL009-001051- and CL009-001052-) lie at W and SE.

Cahermacnaghten is a National Monument in state care, no. 354.