Ringfort (Cashel), Gortnatraw South, Co. Donegal
In the townland of Gortnatraw South, County Donegal, the remains of an ancient ringfort known locally as Lisnafealey occupy a south-facing slope overlooking Mulroy Bay.
Ringfort (Cashel), Gortnatraw South, Co. Donegal
This cashel, measuring approximately 30 metres in internal diameter, consists of a roughly circular enclosure defined by heavily ruined stone walls. Though the original perimeter can no longer be traced with certainty, what remains suggests a substantial defensive structure that once dominated this pastoral landscape.
The surviving architecture tells a story of both ancient construction and modern interference. On the western side, a spread of stones roughly 4 metres wide has been built up to a height of 1.6 metres, sloping inward towards the interior; a design feature typical of cashels from this period. The northern exterior shows evidence of more recent stone facing, whilst two gaps in the walls, one 5 metres wide on the southwest side and another 3 metres wide to the north, appear to be modern breaches rather than original entrances. The interior has suffered considerable disturbance over the centuries and has unfortunately been used as a dumping ground, obscuring many of the site’s original features.
Despite the damage, intriguing elements remain that hint at the cashel’s former complexity. In the northwest corner, lines of stones mark what appears to be the remnants of a wall chamber that was once roofed with horizontal flag stones, as noted by the antiquarian G.H. Kinahan in 1889. Local tradition holds that a spring once existed on the northwest side of the enclosure, though this has since been filled in. The location itself would have been well chosen by its builders; the fair pasture in the surrounding area would have supported livestock, whilst the elevated position provided both defensive advantages and commanding views across Mulroy Bay.





