Westropp — Types of Ring-Forts remaining in Eastern Clare. 20$ 



local belief that Balboru and Kincora were the same. O'Donovan adds that 

 Bishop Carr (1716-39) reduced the height of the fort by 10 feet, and planted it 

 with trees. This is quite inaccurate ; the ramparts are nearly intact, and the 

 filling and planting were done, nearly a century after the Bishop's installation, 

 by Mr. Parker, uncle of the present owner of the site. I may add that 

 O'Donovan (like myself on my earlier visits) quite failed to understand the 

 remains of the Grianan of Lachtna, which he notes as 72 feet N. and S. by 

 38 feet wide. 



The Eejlajns in 1910. 



Grianan Lachtna (Ordnance Survey Map, 37). — Ascending Craglea by a 

 steep old lane (down which, even in summer, a stream flows from the well of 

 the Banshee Aibhill, Tobereevul), we reach an earthwork, above a series of 

 bluffs or terraces, on a lofty shoulder of the hill. It is strangely marked on 

 the old maps as a "site," though much remains, including the nearly entire 

 outer ring. It possibly is the " sidh (faiiy fort) of Crag Liath," named in the 

 Annals of Lough Ce, in 1014. It has a beautiful and wide outlook across the 

 lower reach of Lough Derg to Thoimtinna, and across the Shannon, over the 

 woods of Ballyvalley and Killaloe, to the beautiful dome of Slieve Kimalta, 

 " The Keeper," and the Silvermine Hills. It is locally called " Greenaun." 

 The epithet is now forgotten. 



The fort was probably non-defensive. I formerly supposed that it had an 

 outer fosse, for the upper edge of the field at it is slightly hollowed ; but I 

 now merely think it had an outer mound. The field slojjes past the fort 

 southward, and falls more abruptly to the east. The garth is a little lower 

 than the field to the north, and terraced up for about 4 ft. over it to the south. 

 The whole ring measures externally about 150 ft. north and soirth, by 126 ft. 

 east and west, and 127 ft. diagonally; south-east and north-west the earth- 

 work is 9 ft. to 12 ft. thick, and 4 ft. to 5 ft. 6 in. high. In summer it seems 

 far higher from the tall bracken and the foxgloves raising their purple spires 

 on its summit. The sides of the western half are steep and fairly preserved ; 

 but it is much injured by the modern fence to the east, and partly levelled to 

 the north-east. Inside is a level space, an oval ring with no apparent hut- 

 sites, of very varying breadth, 27 ft. to the north ; 17 ft. south-east ; 24 ft. 

 south ; 27 ft. south-west, and 15 ft. to the east and west. 



Inside is a shapeless heap of stones ; much has been removed since 1892. 

 It was then 80 ft. north and south by 50 ft. across, roughly oblong, as shown 

 on the map, and at least 2 ft. or 3 ft. higher. 



The removal of the debris has, however, disclosed the actual plan, not, as 

 it once appeared, an oblong platform, but a ring- wall well marked to the south. 

 It was from 6 ft. to 7 ft. (6 ft. 10 in,) thick, with two well-built faces, and no 



