Westropp — Type^ of the Ring-Forts and similar Structures. 391 



fosse; the larger one, oval, 130 feet north and south, 114 feet east and west ; 

 it had a fosse and rings, but, like its companion, has been levelled and planted. 

 Opposite to the castle and to the east, a low mound in the marsh has been 

 adapted as a fort by digging an oval fosse, 7 feet or 8 feet wide, enclosing a 

 space 129 feet north and south, and 78 feet east and west, with an outer ring 

 6 feet to 8 feet wide. The excluded part of the mound forms a pear-shaped 

 annexe, 60 feet across to the north. The beautifully wooded hill behind the 

 house has another sloping fort near the top. It measures 108 feet north 

 and south, and 130 feet over all, falling southward (6 feet in 108 feet) along the 

 slope, with a fosse and low inner ring, each 9 feet wide, the latter 4 feet to 

 5 feet high. The hill, despite its planting, has a beautiful outlook, the 

 faint blue hills in King's County being visible beyond Lough Derg ; the old 

 castle of Fortane or Kosslara and three lakes showing from the slopes. 



15. — FoRTANEBEG. — " Fertaue," corruptly modernized to Fortanne, is first 

 recorded as " Fertain," in the De Clares' wars of 1279. We find in " Caelvagh," 

 the foundation, 6 feet thick, of a ring-wall, 69 feet across the garth, and a 

 small knoll, walled, either as a house or grave enclosure, 30 feet by 40 feet 

 across, by an oval rampart of large blocks and small field-filling. Behind, 

 and north-east of the gate lodge, is a low mound of earth and small stones, 

 partly artificial ; on this was a slab-enclosure of a type not unfamiliar in 

 north-west Clare. It was somewhat oval, 25 feet to 29 feet across ; five slabs 

 remain, 7 feet by 3 feet by 1 foot thick, 6 feet by 2 J feet by 8 inches, and 4| 

 feet by 1| feet by 15 inches, the others nearly buried. The slight trace of a 

 ring-fort is found on the lawn ; and beyond the road, on a steep, low ridge, is 

 a terraced fort, not marked as such on the maps. It is of irregular plan, the 

 garth 5 feet to 6 feet higher than the slope to the west. The bank is 9 feet 

 thick, and much repaired when the site was planted. The garth is level with 

 the summit of the ridge, and 78 feet across, similar to several in the TuUa 

 group. We will notice a better example at Liscockaboe. It lies in view of 

 Abbey Hill, Lisduff, and Knockadoon, and is the most eastern liss of the 

 group, there being no trace of entrenchment on the larger hill behind 

 Fortanne House, only an old unfenced Killeen graveyard, which gave the place 

 its name, lies on the slope beside a holy well of St. Mochulla. There are 

 traces of old roads in the craggy fields near Tulla, near a levelled caher, and 

 in Maryf ort demesne ; the latter track passes close beside a little dolmen of 

 limestone slabs already described and planned.^ 



1 Proceedings, xxiv. (C), p. 115. "We need not include the simple little forts of Drummaglimartin, 

 Lecarrow, and Ayle, or the site of Cappaknockane fort, though in some sense part of the group. 



