Caherconnell ()Placenames Database of Ireland
/ref> is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval stone

ringfort Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wale ...

in region known as

the Burren The Burren (; ) is a karst/glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burre ...

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It lies about 1 km south of the

Poulnabrone dolmen Poulnabrone dolmen (Poll na Brón in Irish) is an unusually large dolmen or portal tomb located in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. Situated on one of the most desolate and highest points of the region, it comprises three standing portal sto ...

Location

Caherconnell lies west of the R480 road connecting

Ballyvaughan Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan () is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the N67 road on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. This position on the coast road and the close proximity ...

and

Leamaneh Castle Leamaneh Castle is a ruined castle located in the townland of Leamaneh North, parish of Kilnaboy, between the villages of Corofin and Kilfenora at the border of the region known as the Burren in County Clare, Ireland. It consists of a 15th-ce ...

in the townland of Caherconnell, parish of

Kilcorney Kilcorney or Kilcorny () is a small village and civil parish in the barony of Muskerry West in northwest County Cork, Ireland. It is situated approximately 38 km northwest of Cork, 17 km north of Macroom, and 7 km east of Millstr ...

Barony of Burren The Barony of Burren is a geographical division of County Clare, Ireland, that in turn is divided into civil parishes. It covers a large part of the Burren. Legal context Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions ...

, County Clare. The local geology is karst limestone and the land is used for pasture.

Description

Caherconnell features a circular drystone enclosure wall with a diameter of 42 metres. Walls are up to 3 metres thick and up to 3 metres high. The amount of loose stones suggests an original height of around one extra metre. The wall is made of local limestone. The entrance gap is located to the east. Inside the enclosure are the remains of a dividing

drystone wall Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their construction me ...

, around a metre wide. There are also two visible structures. Structure A is located next to the north wall of the fort. It is rectangular with the long axis running east to west, measuring roughly 10m by 5m. Structure B is next to the west wall of the fort, measuring around 7.5m by 5m internally. Its north wall is part of the dividing wall. Some additional structures surround the ringfort. The existence of a

souterrain ''Souterrain'' (from French ''sous terrain'', meaning "under ground") is a name given by archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the European Atlantic Iron Age. These structures appear to have been brought north ...

has been surmised but nothing definite has been found. The fort shows numerous similarities with

Cahermore ringfort Cahermore ringfort () or sometimes ''Caher Mór'' or "Ballyallaban stone fort" is a ringfort south of Ballyvaughan in the Burren area, in County Clare, Ireland. It is a National Monument. Location The fort lies right next to the R480 road betwe ...

and

Cahermacnaghten Cahermacnaghten () is a ringfort south of Ballyvaughan in the Burren area, in County Clare, Ireland. It, or a nearby building, is the site of the famous O'Davoran law school. The fort is a National Monument. Location The fort lies right close ...

, two other that remained in use until a relatively late date.

Excavations

According to

Radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was de ...

conducted in connection with an archaeological excavation in the summer of 2007, the ringfort mostly dates from the early 10th to mid-12th century. Occupation deposits indicate the fort was used from around the early 10th century to the early 13th century. The later structure A with a rectangular outline was likely built between the early 15th and mid-17th century. It is not certain whether the cashel was continuously inhabited or temporarily abandoned in the 14th century. Findings indicate that the inhabitants not only consumed relatively high-status items but were also manufacturing them at the site (pin-making mould). There seems to have been precious metal work going on and there are signs of ironworking (slag, possible anvil position). The archaeological report also notes that: "The imposing morphology of the site, its walls and diameter, sets it apart from the vast majority of in the Burren". The relatively long use - well into modern times - is attributed to the fact that the area, controlled by the O'Loghlen family, was not directly affected by Anglo-Norman influences but remained culturally Gaelic for a long time. The inhabitants of the 15th/16th century were not from the main branch of the family, which had moved to Glensleade Castle, about 3 km to the north. Postholes of an earlier –

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

– rectangular timber structure have been found to the southwest. They were discovered during examination of an adjacent later stone building. This appears unique in Ireland and Britain and is still the subject of analysis. It may have served as a medieval corn-drying kiln, but the presence of the partial remains of three people, dumped at its entrance and dating to the 15th or 16th century, presents a mystery.

Today

The ringfort is open to the public. The owner runs a visitor centre with an audio visual presentation and café. From summer 2010, Caherconnell has been home to an archaeological field school where students can learn archaeological techniques from leading archaeologists.

References

External links

Caherconnell at the Clare County Library website

''Excavations in Caherconnell townland'' in: Burren Landscape and Settlement

Caherconnell Archaeological Field School and Visitor Centre
{{coord, 53, 2, 26.7, N, 9, 8, 21.02, W, display=title, type:landmark_region:IE Archaeological sites in County Clare Buildings and structures in County Clare Forts in the Republic of Ireland