Ringfort (Cashel), Doocashel Glebe, Co. Donegal
Hidden within Ards Forest Park in County Donegal lies a circular cashel, its ancient stone walls now embraced by planted woodland.
Ringfort (Cashel), Doocashel Glebe, Co. Donegal
This ringfort measures approximately 22 metres in internal diameter, with walls that once stood proud but now reach only about a metre in height along much of their circuit. The southern wall, where measurements are clearest, spans 2.4 metres in width. Whilst the outer face of the fortification can still be traced around most of its circumference, the inner face has largely collapsed, buried beneath debris from decades of forestry work.
Inside this ancient enclosure, a curious ruined wall creates an intriguing pattern across the interior space. Starting from the collapsed inner edge on the northeast, it extends westward for about 14 metres before curving south for another 10 metres. This internal wall, surviving to roughly half a metre in height and a metre in width, may or may not be contemporary with the main cashel walls; time and tree roots have obscured its relationship to the original structure. Even more mysterious is a small, drystone hut nestled against the northern wall. This circular structure, barely 1.5 metres across, stands up to 1.15 metres high with walls varying between 0.7 and 1.7 metres thick, featuring a narrow half-metre gap on its southern side that might have served as an entrance.
The cashel occupies a gentle west-facing slope that would have commanded excellent views to the north, east, and south before the forest took hold. The interior ground slopes noticeably downward from south to north, with a distinct 0.4 metre drop at the midpoint, whilst also tilting from west to east. Though the surrounding plantation now masks much of the landscape’s original character, occasional rock outcrops hint at the terrain’s natural ruggedness that would have made this an ideal defensive position in centuries past.





