Westeopp — Types of the Ring -Forts and similar Structures. 373 



works of Brosna and Killeedy, nothing even like those near Bunratty or 

 CiiUeen, remains. However, we give a fine example of its stone congener 

 near Knappogue. 



The more we study the subject, the less are we able to draw the line 

 between the forts of earth and those of stone ; many, if not all, of the first 

 kind examined by us were evidently stone-faced ; this also accounts for the 

 usa2;e of "cathair" for the earthen forts as well as for the stone cahers. 

 Though groups of single forts are frequent on the fields, there are no cases 

 of three conjoined forts as at Killulla. Some of the hills have two detached 

 forts on the summit ;^ and we find three cahers in very close proximity in 

 Oreevaghbeg. No forts occur on the mountain uplands. Tumuli, pillars, and 

 cairns are practically absent all over eastern Clare; any found are on the 

 smallest scale, and this from no mere lack of stones.^ 



We have laid before the Academy papers on the stone monuments to 

 which, in the seven intervening years, we have been able to add no further 

 example in the district of the true dolmen, the long giant's grave, or the 

 small cist ; but we have found and give a note on the remains of a slab- 

 enclosure on a natural mound at Fortanne. Pillar-stones have also been 

 described in the same papers,^ only a few occurring. 



The district with which we deal is a purely Irish one, as soon as we 

 cross the Quin rivers. Apart from some small clans and the slightly more 

 important O'Hehir tribe of Magh Adhair, this part of Clare was occupied from 

 the time of the Dalcassian conquest, a.d. 340-380, by the tribe that evolved 

 itself into the Mac Namaras and others. The English seem to have never 

 formed settlements beyond the river banks save in Tradree. They evidently 

 only held the lower part of Ui Aimrid along the Shannon to Limerick, and at 

 one time the land below Ennis at Clare Castle,^ in the Triucha ced an oilean. 

 the cantred of islands. The strongest colony, that of de Clare, did not hold 

 land beyond Quin and Kilmurrynegall. 



2. — The only recorded finds in the Clare earth-forts are bronze imple- 

 ments in a fort near Eaheen, outside the limit of this paper. Iron objects 

 were found in the (possibly late) partition wall of Cahercalla ; the remains of 



1 Such as Kilnoe ridge, Coobeagh, Lismeehan, and Drumbaun foits, near Corbally, &c. 



- That there were others long since removed is clear from names like Knockacarran. 



3 Proceedings, Ser. III., vol. vi., p. 85. Vol. xxiv. (C), pp. 85, 107. 



* Clare Castle itself was probably built late in the period (1240-1270) of the earlier colony (exter- 

 minated by Prince Brian Ruadh O'Brien) ; it was essentially a river-bank settlement. The de Clares 

 claimed Lattoonand Tobernafonch ; the latter, the " Tiobra na fhiiinnsean " of the Catbreim, adjoined 

 the former, and was probably near, if not at, Castlefergus or else St. Kieran's Well on the north 

 border of Dromoland. The Inquisition taken in 1287, on the death of Thomas de Clare, shows 

 conclusively that the English land did not cross the Eine at any points save at Quin itself. 



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