Loher Cashel Explained

Loher Cashel
Native Name:	Cathair an Lóthair
Native Language:	ga
Coordinates:	51.7861°N -10.1656°W
Location:	Loher, Derrynane, County Kerry, Ireland
Built:	c. 9th century AD
Elevation:	60m (200feet)
Architecture:	Gaelic Ireland
Owner:	State^[1]
Type:	stone ringfort
Height:	3m (10feet)
Designation1:	National Monument of Ireland
Designation1 Offname:	Loher Cashel^[2]
Designation1 Number:	611

Loher Cashel is a stone ringfort (cashel) and National Monument located on the Iveragh Peninsula, Ireland.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Location

Loher Cashel is situated on the western edge of the Iveragh Peninsula overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay, 3.9km (02.4miles) northwest of Derrynane.^{[6] [7]} This location may have been chosen for its view of Skellig Michael.^[8]

History

The cashel was built around the 9th century AD as a defended farmstead. It was recently reconstructed.^{[9] [4]}

Description

This is a circular stone ringfort (caiseal) of internal diameter 20m (70feet) with outer walls over 2m (07feet) high and 3m (10feet) thick accessible by stairways. It is built of drystone with gaps filled in with rubble.

In the interior are a large round house and a smaller rectangular house; archaeology has shown that these were preceded by wooden buildings. A souterrain was located in the circular house.^[10]

The entrance has a stone-lined passage similar to that at Staigue stone fort.^{[11] [12]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Archived copy . 27 August 2017 . 16 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171116165544/http://cdp.kerrycoco.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1_national_monuments.pdf . dead .
2. Web site: National Monuments in State Care: Ownership & Guardianship . 4 March 2009 . National Monuments Service . Ireland . 12 May 2021 .
3. Web site: megalithomania: Loher (Kerry) :: Stone Fort :: Visit notes. www.megalithomania.com.
4. Book: A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early Ireland. Theodore William. Moody. Francis X.. Martin. Francis John. Byrne. Art. Cosgrove. 27 August 1976. Oxford University Press. 9780198217374. Google Books.
5. Book: The Prehistory and Early History of Atlantic Europe: Papers from a Session Held at the European Association of Archaeologists Fourth Annual Meeting in Göteborg 1998. European Association of Archaeologists. Meeting. Jon C.. Henderson. 1 January 2000. Archaeopress. 9781841710624. Google Books.
6. Book: Henderson, Jon. The Atlantic Iron Age: Settlement and Identity in the First Millennium BC. 1 December 2007. Routledge. 9781134076130. Google Books.
7. Web site: County Kerry - selected monuments. Anthony. Weir. www.irishmegaliths.org.uk.
8. Book: Harbison, Peter. Pilgrimage in Ireland: The Monuments and the People. 1 April 1995. Syracuse University Press. 9780815603122. Google Books.
9. Web site: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Celtic studies, history, linguistics and literature. 27 August 1995. The Academy. Google Books.
10. Web site: Loher Stone Fort.
11. Web site: Loher Fort. irishantiquities.bravehost.com.
12. Web site: Loher Fort, County Kerry. timetravelireland.blogspot.ie.