Ringfort (Cashel), An Caiseal, Dún Lúiche, Co. Donegal
On a gentle ridge overlooking a fertile valley to the west in County Donegal, two raised platforms mark where a pair of cashels once stood.
Ringfort (Cashel), An Caiseal, Dún Lúiche, Co. Donegal
These stone fortifications, which local residents still remember seeing intact, were positioned just 10 metres apart before their destruction. Today, only their earthen foundations remain as testament to their former presence.
The southern platform, the larger of the two, measures approximately 25 metres north to south and 30 metres east to west. It rises about a metre above the surrounding ground on three sides; the northern, eastern and southern approaches; whilst the western edge stands an impressive two to three metres high. Its northern neighbour is more modest in scale, spanning roughly 16 metres by 19 metres, but follows the same pattern of elevation, with the western side considerably higher than the others.
These cashels, recorded in the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal from 1983, would have been circular stone enclosures typical of early medieval Ireland. Their strategic placement on elevated ground with views across the valley below suggests they served both defensive and agricultural purposes, providing protected spaces for families and their livestock whilst maintaining clear sightlines across the surrounding landscape.





