376 ProceedincfS of the Royal Irish Academy. 



garth is hollow and somewhat irregular, the average being 177 feet east and 

 west, and 234 feet north and south. It has slight foundations of enclosures. 



Such square forts, we may note, lie in other countries outside the limits 

 of the Eoman Empire, and have yielded antiquities of the Bronze Age in 

 Eastern Europe. There, as here, there are no differences, other than in plan, 

 between the " square " and circular forts. In Clare this is well seen, though 

 the corners are, as a rule, rounded, as at Knockauns Fort, Mohernaglasha, and 

 the bawn near the Cashlaun Gar in Tullycommaun. At Poulgorm, and near 

 ISToughaval, we find well-built square angles ; but the first at least seems a 

 late structure. Near ISToughaval, Caherkyletaan and Caherwalsh are of 

 splendid slab-masonry ; while the neighbouring bawn at Cahernaspekee, in 

 Ballyganner, is very poorly built. Mohernaglasha has curious huts and slabs, 

 set at right angles from the inner face of the wall ; and the " caher " of 

 Gleninshen is of the poorest design and construction. Lisheeneagh and 

 Faunarooska, near Lisdoonvarna, are of excellent masonry. The latter has a 

 round peel-tower at one angle ;^ but others at Cahermaclanchy,Caher village, 

 and Carran are poorly and badly built — probably very late examples. None 

 of these have steps or terraces ; and only one known to me, at Cragballyconoal, 

 has a gateway. This is, however, very interesting, having upright slabs set 

 deeply in the wall, with the edges out to form door-posts in the middle of the 

 passage. This feature is common in the Scottish brochs, and in the cahers 

 of Fahan in Kerry ; but to my knowledge only occurs at one true ring- wall, 

 with terrace-steps and huts, Moherarooan, near Carran. It, too, is possibly a 

 late feature, and (I believe) absent from all the finest ring-forts in Western 

 Ireland, northward from the Shannon. It will be seen how in Clare these 

 rectangular enclosures are most common in the purely Irish district of the 

 Corcomroes. 



We pass north-eastward through craggy fields, and find two ring-walls 

 levelled to the ground. Near them is a shallow depression, fenced at its 

 curved end by a considerable bank of stones. The foundation of a little 

 circular hut-ring lies near the more southern caher in this field ; the northern 

 caher is barely traceable. 



About 100 feet to the north of these is a fine and perfect rath. The garth 

 is not raised, nor has it a fosse ; but it consists of a steep ring of earth and 

 stones 7 to 8 feet high, planted with hawthorns, and 150 feet across. There 

 are no foundations inside. It was once stone-faced ; patches of the work still 

 remain. 



1 Those acquainted witli tie neighbourhood of Dingle in Kerry will recall Cahercullaun with its 

 ring-fort, straight- sided annexe, and later peel-tower. The castle-builders frequently chose a 

 fort for the site of the stone building. 



