70 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



outside the inner wall; the walls can rarely he measured, hut are from 12 feet 

 to 15 feet thick, and 3 to 4 feet high in parts. It is about 390 feet north and 

 south, by 320 feet east and west over all. 



There is a small fort on a knoll, near a little lake beside the avenue, a 

 mere high ring of mossy stones overgrown with hawthorns, 69 feet across, 

 15 feet thick, and 5 to 8 feet high, with a late oblong enclosure in the south 

 part of the garth. 



Some fifty-six forts lie westward from the Quin river and Moyreisk, to 

 the Fergus, principally in Doora parish. So far as I have seen any of these, 

 or can learn, all are defaced ring-forts, some with fosses and low outer lings — 

 one near Kilbrecan with stone facing. None are of unusual size or different 

 from those described here. Doora was an old centre of civilization. Here 

 St. Brecan established the first Christian churches in Co. Clare, Kilbrecan 

 (Carntemple), Doora (Durynierekin, 1189), and Clooney, being remembered 

 as St. Bikin, at the last-named; he lived about 460-480. 



Ballyhickey, or Hazelwood, adjoins Moyreisk on the east. It has a small 

 perfect dolmen and a large ring 250 feet across, and levelled to 2 feet high. 

 Across the road from Quin to Ennis near Wellpark is a network of low 

 foundations of enclosures clinging to a ring-wall with radiating walls and 

 loops. Like the other webs of enclosures at Castlefergus and Bossroe, 

 it is all levelled. They probably represent the growth of an early home- 

 stead generation after generation. 



Corballt (O.S. 34) . — On a low hill within a mile of Magh Adhair mound 

 and of the large double earthwork of Creevagh, already described, is another 

 important fort on Drumbaun ridge. Though thickly planted with elms and 

 oaks, it has a fine view out to Slieve Bernagh, the great hill of Kimalta (the 

 Keeper) in Co. Tipperary, and westward to Mount Callan. The principal 

 fort is on the summit of Drumbaun ; it has an outer ring 3 feet high, 15 feet 

 thick at the base, and 3 feet on top, rising 8 feet over the bottom of the 

 fosse. The latter is 9 feet wide below, and 25 feet at the field. The inner 

 ring rises 10 feet over the ditch, and barely 3 feet over the garth ; it is 

 slightly oval, 93 feet north and south, by 99 feet east and west ; the whole 

 earthwork measures 182 feet to 190 feet over alL 



At 27 feet to the south, connected by a straight mound, is a less regular 

 annexe. The outer ring and fosse are each 9 feet wide ; the inner ring 9 to 

 12 feet thick, 4 feet 6 inches high to the south and west, and 8 feet to the 

 north and east down the slope. Its garth is 60 feet north and south, by 

 87 feet, the whole 117 feet over all. 1 There is a deep dry pond beside it. 



1 See Plate IV. 



