Westkopp — Types of the Ring-forts of Eastern Co. Clare. 67 



plateau by two trenches at right angles, and levelled and shaped into a flat- 

 topped, oblong platform, 90 feet long, east and west, and 54 feet wide, with a 

 slight fence, 3 feet thick to the west and south, probably once palisaded. On 

 it was a house, 60 feet east and west by 30 feet, the wall only a couple of 

 feet high. The fosse to the south and west is 9 feet to 12 feet wide below, 

 and 18 feet to 20 feet above. It is 6 feet deep. About the middle of the 

 southern fosse was a stone causeway leading to a ring-wall, now greatly 

 levelled. The cathair is 98 feet across the garth. The wall is perfect round 

 the craggy platform to the north-east. It is of rather poor, coursed dry-stone 

 masonry, and 4 feet to 5 feet high. I could not find its thickness accurately ; 

 but it seems from 6 feet to 10 feet thick. There were late cabins in the 

 garth, which led to its demolition. They are now nearly effaced. 



Mr. Hough, of Gorteen, tells me that when he was a boy, before the river 

 was deepened, the Earl's House stood on a shallow lake, and water filled its 

 fosse. The remains of eel-weirs in the marshy field support his statement. 

 Farther west is a hollow called Poulaphuca, from the demon-goat or pony ; 

 but no one on the townland who spoke to me seemed to know what the 

 name implies, (j, K, l) There are three more defaced cathairs, 110 feet, 

 150 feet, and 120 feet across, to the west of the Earl's House and parallel to 

 the other row of rings (b, c, d). 



North of the stream, in rich grassland, are four earthen forts, each about 

 100 feet across, with shallow fosses and rings 5 feet to 7 feet high, ringed by 

 old hawthorns, perhaps descendants of the quickset hedges which fenced 

 many forts in the early times, and even the ramparts of the town of Athlone 

 on the Connacht side. The rings are gardens of hyacinths, primroses, and 

 stitchwort. There are eight forts in the townland of Dangan, typical circular 

 earthworks. In the Deerpark is a strange-looking low oval earthwork about 

 120 feet by 100 feet, set with hawthorns, and called Carrowbane (ceathramadh 

 ban), " white quarter," the adjoining townland being Carrowroe or " Red 

 quarter." 



Cragbwee and Cant. — The townlands south of Dangan have several, 

 nearly levelled ring-walls. The best-preserved, near the lakelet of Dooley's 

 Hole, is well-built, with two faces and filling, 12 feet thick and usually 4 feet 

 high; the garth is 116 feet north and south, and 125 feet east and west. 

 The others are rings of filling. 



Ardsollas to Clooney. 



Castlefergus (O. S. 42). — A group of five cathairs, one with a souterrain, 

 was cut through in making the railway. No " finds " are noted. It is 

 unfortunate that the group was so much injured, as it was a most curious 



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