Westropp — Ancient Castles of the County of Limeviclx. Tj9 



Limerick is (with Clare and Sligo) one of the Irish counties richest in 

 early forts. It has at least 2,150 recorded. Unfortunately these, 

 nnlike the remains in Clare and Kerry, include no fairly perfect ring- 

 walls ; little but foundations remain of the cahers, and the remains of 

 small lime-kilns show to us that their blocks were burned to lime for 

 use in the tillage-fields around.^ The earth forts are of moderate 

 height (8 feet to 16 feet), ringed with a low mound and one or more 

 fosses and rings. The high motes are few, but include the fine earth- 

 works of Shanid and Kilfinnane, the last being the Treada na riogli 

 of the " Book of Rights." Shanid, besides its mote, has a large rath 

 with curious cross mounds on the summit ; another remarkable fort is 

 Kilbane, on the hill beside Kilbradran church. It has a central ring- 

 wall and two great entrenched side-courts.^ Square or oblong forts 

 are not of infrequent occurrence. We may note Cloghoonaowney, near 

 Drombanny Castle, and Kells, near Cloncrew (54), ^ which measures 

 250 feet by 200 feet. I^one are very large. 



The average of the ring forts rarely exceeds 150 feet in diameter. 

 Three in Coolrus are somewhat larger. Knockegan, in Tomdeely, near 

 the mouth of the Deel, has a row of four pillar-stones, in line from its 

 southern edge, which recall the pillars at the fort of Tara Luachra. 

 Badger's fort, near Kilpeacon, has a dolmen within its outer ring. 

 There remain at least thirteen forts* of more than 300 feet diameter. 

 "We can only give their names and dimensions here. Ballinscula (40), 

 300 feet across, 380 feet to 400 feet over all, with a small fort 

 adjoining. Knockowra (19), near Shanid, and Reerasta (28), near 

 Ardagh, each about 300 feet across. In the latter were found the 

 brooch and beautiful chalice of Ardagh. Croaghane, near Knock- 

 patrick (10), is from 350 feet to 450 feet over all; Greenish Island 

 fort (10) is 350 feet over all. Rathcannon fort, near Athlacca, 

 utilises a craggy ridge to form part of its ring, which is 380 feet 

 across. Dromin, in Grange (36), is 400 feet in diameter; Drombanny 

 (13), is an irregular double earth-work with fosses, about 400 feet 

 long and 200 feet wide. The following forts exceed 400 feet in 



' So perished the walls of Emania. See "Ancient Forts of Ireland," Trans. 

 R.I. A., xxxi., section^? 1. 



- Shanid, R. S.A.I. , xxxiv., pp. 320, 338 ; Kilfinnane, p. 335, and R.I.A. Trans., 

 xxxvi., section 347. Kilhane fort, Proc. R.I. A., xxiv. (c), p. 275. 



^ Ordnance Survey Map, No. 54, of Limerick. 



* This does not fall in with the theory that the small fort is Xorman and feudal 

 and the large fort alone trihal — as recently advanced in the English Historical 

 Review. The general teaching of all the Irish counties is the same. 



