Building, Caiseal Charna, Co. Donegal
In the rolling countryside above Kilcar town in County Donegal, the remains of Cashelbane tell a story of ancient fortification and settlement.
Building, Caiseal Charna, Co. Donegal
This circular stone enclosure, known locally as Caiseal Charna, measures roughly 31.5 metres from north-northwest to south-southeast and 28.8 metres from northeast to southwest. What remains today are two concentric stone walls, now largely collapsed and overgrown with grass, that once formed a formidable defensive structure. The space between these walls, approximately 5 metres wide, would have provided an additional layer of protection for those within.
The interior of the cashel presents an uneven landscape of undulating ground and exposed rock outcrops, now crowned by a modern trigonometrical station used for surveying. Two circular depressions in the southwest section hint at former structures, possibly dwelling houses or storage buildings that once stood within the protective walls. The southern portion has been somewhat altered by the construction of a modern field wall that follows the line of the inner ancient enclosure.
Set amidst a patchwork of decent pasture, rocky outcrops and rougher grazing land, Cashelbane occupies a strategic position with commanding views westward over Kilcar town. This type of stone fort, common throughout western Ireland, likely dates from the early medieval period when such defensive homesteads served as both residences for local chieftains and refuges for the surrounding community during times of conflict. Though time and agriculture have taken their toll on the structure, enough remains to appreciate the considerable effort that went into creating this ancient stronghold.