Ringfort (Cashel), Loughros Glebe, Co. Donegal
Atop a flat-topped hill in Loughros Glebe, County Donegal, sits the remains of a cashel; a type of stone-built ringfort that once served as a fortified farmstead in early medieval Ireland.
Ringfort (Cashel), Loughros Glebe, Co. Donegal
The site occupies a commanding position with steep drops to the east and west, offering both defensive advantages and access to decent pasture land. Its builders chose this location carefully, creating a homestead that could monitor the surrounding landscape whilst maintaining enough fertile ground for livestock and cultivation.
The cashel itself forms an almost circular enclosure, measuring roughly 16 metres east to west and 18 metres north to south. Its boundary consists of a substantial drystone wall, still visible today despite centuries of weathering, which reaches up to 2.14 metres in width at certain points. A two-metre gap on the east-northeast side likely marks the original entrance, though much of the structure has collapsed over time, leaving considerable amounts of stone scattered throughout the interior. These ruins represent the typical construction methods of early Irish settlement sites, where families would have lived, worked, and stored their goods within these protective walls.
Several intriguing features add to the site’s archaeological interest. An eight-metre channel, about 20 centimetres deep and two metres wide, runs close to the western side of the cashel, possibly serving as drainage or water management for the settlement. Just outside the southern edge, a well has been cut directly into the bedrock, demonstrating the practical considerations of daily life in these ancient homesteads. This water source would have been essential for the inhabitants, providing a reliable supply without requiring them to venture far from the safety of their walls. The cashel stands as a tangible reminder of how Ireland’s early medieval communities adapted to their landscape, balancing defensive needs with agricultural requirements.





