Irish fortifications

Ballykinvarga

Located in Clare, these fortifications lie a mile northeast of Kilfenora. The ring-wall encloses an oval space 150 feet by 130 feet and rises to a height of around 12 feet. This incomplete edifice reflects good construction, incorporating unusually large blocks of stone in the creation of its lower courses.

Ballykinvarga has the rare feature, confined to three or four Irish forts, of an encircling chevaux de frise of sharp stones set upright in the ground that extend as a defensive ring for a distance of about 50 feet. The fact that it had been an effective defence system against intruders is easily brought forward even today as you have to venture across it with utmost care or you risk a sprained ankle or grazed shin.

The only unhindered access to the interior is on the south side where a passageway leads through the chevaux de frise to an entrance in the cashel wall. The approach to this fort from the road involves clambering over several field-walls built of precariously balanced stones.

Cahermacnaghten

Located 4 miles east north east of the spa resort of Lisdoonvarna in Clare, this fort was occupied as late as the end of the seventeenth century. It also had been the teaching centre of a celebrated Gaelic law school conducted by the O'Davorens some time ago.

A deed of 1675 shows that it was then inhabited and lists the dwellings standing inside the cashel, which has a diameter of just under 100 feet and other property outside the wall. Only remains of these structures are found today however the well-built cashel is intact with remnants of an interesting late medieval two-tiered gateway.

The accumulation of centuries of domestic materials has raised the ground level inside the fort, covering the foundations of buildings whose outlines can still be detected on the present surface.