The views from the top of the ridge here are stunning. To the west stands the stone row of The Three Fingers (County Cork) and to the east is the sea and a rugged coastline, dotted with little islands.
The site has other bonuses too, for it is several sites in one. The cashel walls stand to a height of around 1.7m and are extremely thick. There is a little guard chamber built into the wall by the entrance, next to which is a large slab covered with cup marks.
Just inside the entrance is a cross pillar - a slender standing stone with an elegantly carved cross near the top.
The centre of the enclosure is occupied by a low square wall, within which is a souterrain. Unfortunately the entrance to this is blocked by a sturdy gate.
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This is an explanation of (and a bit of a disclaimer for) the coordinates I provide. Where a GPS figure is given this is the master for all other coordinates. According to my Garmin these are quite accurate. Where there is no GPS figure the 6 figure grid reference is master for the others. This may not be very accurate as it could have come from the OS maps and could have been read by eye. Consequently, all other cordinates are going to have inaccuracies. The calculation of Longitude and Latitude uses an algorithm that is not 100% accurate. The long/lat figures are used as a basis for calculating the UTM & ITM coordinates. Consequently, UTM & ITM coordinates are slightly out. UTM is a global coordinate system - Universal Transverse Mercator - that is at the core of the GPS system. ITM is the new coordinate system - Irish Transverse Mercator - that is more accurate and more GPS friendly than the Irish Grid Reference system. This will be used on the next generation of Irish OS maps. |