394 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



LiSKEHEEXODEi. — The name of this fort, " the little bushy sod fort," is 

 preserved by a partition deed between Matthew O'Brien, his son Thady, 

 and brother, Kennedy, of Coolreaghbeg, May 26th, 1736, lent me by 

 Col. O'Callaghan Westropp, the present owner. The O'Briens held as tenants 

 in common ; and, fearing to lose their lands under the Penal Laws, got their 

 Protestant neighbours, F. Drew of Drewsborough, and John Westropp, of 

 Lismeehan, to act as trustees, making a fictitious and friendly " discovery." 

 Legal ad\asers recommended a partition of the lands, which was carried out. 

 The division-line started from " Cnocnaspige, over against the north point of 

 the Rushy Island on the Derrymore [above Bearnadearg, the name still attaches 

 to some houses], and running south close by the house of Daniel O'Brien at 

 Gortnakilly [wood-field], on the said lands of Coolreaghbeg, and thence south to 

 the bounds of Coolbaun [still a field-name], ending west of Liskehianodri." Of 

 other lost names found in the O'Brien papers, we can only note "Moneliberine," 

 1736, or " Libbereen Bog," in a map of 1775, in the north of Coolreaghmore, 

 next the river; " Droumnagour '^ (Goat's ridge), the ridge in Coolreaghmore, 

 south from the liss ; " Dermee," north of the river at Core-bridge ; " Ptosnure," 

 in the bend between it and Derrymore. The place had 30 acres of wood in 

 the western half alone in 1772. 



The fort still deserves its name, being well sodded and ringed with small 

 bushes. The garth is irregular, horseshoe-shaped, with a fairly straight 

 reach to the north-east ; 126 feet north and south, 144 feet east and west. 

 The inner rino- is 9 feet thick, and rises 5 feet over the fosse to the west, and 

 8 feet and 9 feet to the south-west, being on a slope, and terraced up for a few 

 feet. The fosse, 8 to 10 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, runs roimd the curve, and 

 then girds a conical space outside the ring to the north-east, 78 feet across, 

 with trace of a bank 12 feet thick. The outer ring of the curved section was 

 10 feet thick ; it has been dug away in parts. There are two old ponds on 

 the hill-top east from the fort, overshadowed by old sallows. 



The main ridge lies east and west. South from it is a forked ridge lying 

 north and south. Several nameless forts lie in the hollow, between the 

 by-road and the tall fragment of the " castle " or peel-tower. They were 

 house-rings, the eastern planted, and 5 feet thick ; the garth barely 3 feet 

 high, and 130 feet across. The ring, in the next field to the west, is nearly 

 levelled, 2 to 4 feet high, and 105 feet across, the ring 5 feet thick. They 

 have no fosses, and are probably very late. As we have pointed out, similar 

 circular trenches, or banks, are still made to protect small plantations, and 

 usually have a fosse outside from which the material was taken. Dry-stone 

 ring- walls are also built for the same purpose. 



On the western fork of the ridge is a fort terraced up on the slope, 6 feet 



