380 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



A caher lies at a short distance down a gentle slope to the south-east. 

 It has been already briefly noted in the Journal of the Eoyal Society of 

 Antiquaries,^ but needs a fuller description. It was a massive fort, 87 to 

 90 feet across the garth, and 114 feet over all. There are no signs of 

 foundations inside, but the interior was evidently levelled. The wall is 

 12 feet thick, and 8 feet to 9 feet high, being best preserved to the N.E. 

 Some has been removed since my first visit in 1892. The gateway faced 

 E.N.E., and is quite defaced ; the masonry is good, with two faces, the outer, as 

 usual, being built with the largest blocks ; it has a batter of 1 in 5, and some 

 upright joints remain (see Plate XVII.) ; the outer facing to the IST.W. is nearly 

 all removed. There was a stone fort in Creevaghbeg in the later seventeenth 

 century, called Caherumine in the " Book of Survey " in 1655 ; Cahermine, 

 Cahermunigan, or Caheroine, in a grant of 1660, Caherbane in 1675, and 

 Cahermine in 1679.- If these forms give us Cahermeane, " the middle fort," 

 they probably refer to the above caher, it being near the middle of the 

 townland with other forts around it. Caherbane would still be a very 

 appropriate title, as, on a sunny day, its white limestone walls form a 

 conspicuous object. 



There are three forts close together on the border of the townland near 

 Dangan and Cahercalla. The southern is a caher very like the last, but 

 better preserved ; most of the inner facing and the larger outer facing to the 

 N. and IST.W. are intact. The wall is nearly uniform, 12 feet thick, with two 

 facings of excellent masonry set with great skill to the curve, and to a 

 straight batter varying from 1 in 3 to 1 in 6. It is from 6 feet to 7 feet 

 8 inches high, and has no terrace or steps ; the gate facing the S.E., but quite 

 defaced ; the garth measures 118 feet through, and 140 feet over all. 



There is a trace of a two-ringed caher, in two low concentric segments of 

 stone-filling in the next field to the west, and hardly 200 feet from the more 

 perfect fort ; a ring of filling of a third caher rests on a low ridge of crag to 

 the north; the double fort and its satellites must have nearly joined each 

 other when the large one was entire. I could get no names for these forts, 

 though, with very intelligent guides, I was told by them (accurately) that 

 " the castles of Knappoge, Ballymarkahan, and Dangan were built by the 

 Mac ISTamaras, but no one knew anything about who built the cahers or what 

 they were called." There are no forts worthy of notice in Dangan, only the 

 Mac Namaras' chief castle of " Dangan Ivigin " and a liss. 



7, — CraCtATASKA. — This townland, with Cahercalla, lies north of the 



1 Journal, xxiii., p. 432 ; xxvi., p. 150. See also our Proceedings, xxiv. (C), p. 439. 



2 "Book of Distribution," p. 141 ; Proc. E.I.A., Ser. iii., vol. vi., p. 439, 



