Ringfort (Cashel), Tullyarvan, Co. Donegal

Ringfort (Cashel), Tullyarvan, Co. Donegal

In the townland of Tullyarvan, County Donegal, the remains of a medieval cashel tell a story of clever defensive architecture and hidden underground passages.

Ringfort (Cashel), Tullyarvan, Co. Donegal

This ringfort, with an internal diameter of approximately 14.5 metres, features a curving modern wall that appears to mirror the western section of the original stone structure that once stood here. The interior ground is largely level, save for a curious depression at the northern end that marks the entrance to an intriguing souterrain system.

The souterrain, or underground passage, can actually be accessed from outside the main enclosure to the south, though its entrance, a narrow aperture measuring just 33 by 65 centimetres, is now blocked with stones. Once inside, the main passage stretches seven metres northward towards the cashel before becoming impassable due to collapsed stones and soil. Built with drystone walls and roofed with nine heavy flagstones, the passage maintains a width of one metre and a height of 80 centimetres; just enough space for someone to crawl through. Two side passages branch westward from this main tunnel: the first, located 2.3 metres from the entrance, is particularly cramped at 55 centimetres wide and 40 centimetres high, extending three metres before blockage; whilst the second, found 5.6 metres from the entrance, is slightly wider at 65 centimetres but only 25 centimetres high, making it more of a crawlspace than a passage.



These souterrains were typical features of early medieval Irish settlements, likely used for storage, refuge during raids, or both. The cashel itself occupies high ground with natural slopes to the south and west, though modern development has significantly altered the surrounding landscape. The site represents the kind of everyday fortification that dotted the Irish countryside during the medieval period; not grand enough for the history books perhaps, but essential to the families who once called it home.

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Tullyarvan, Co. Donegal
55.1532424, -7.44824283
55.1532424,-7.44824283
Tullyarvan 
Ringforts 

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