Cahercommaun: An Early Medieval Ringfort in Ireland
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.7
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Ireland
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Irish
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fortified Town
On this page10 sections
History
Cahercommaun is an early medieval triple stone ringfort in Ireland, built by an early medieval Irish community around AD 800. It stands at the south-eastern edge of the Burren near Kilnaboy, County Clare, and represents the ninth-century peak of a settlement whose earlier activity began in the fifth or sixth century.
Early settlement and the ninth-century fort
Archaeological evidence places settlement activity at Cahercommaun during the fifth and sixth centuries, before the construction of the present fort. The earliest phase, known as Phase A, continued into the eighth century and probably involved a small enclosure with several structures near the cliff at the northern end of the later inner wall. That early arrangement may have been demolished or incorporated into the ninth-century works.
During Phase B, around AD 800, the present walls and underground passages were built. Cahercommaun probably housed at least 40 people, with an estimated peak population of 40 to 50. The settlement appears to have been an organized domestic centre rather than simply a military stronghold. Its inhabitants practiced production within the fort and relied heavily on cattle, while also keeping sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and other animals.
Political role and abandonment
Cahercommaun is thought to have been the central settlement of the chiefdom of Tulach Commáin, meaning “the Mound of Commán.” The name may refer to Commán, a locally revered chief. The settlement was also associated with the kingdom of Cashel, an important early medieval Irish political centre that controlled or strongly influenced much of the Burren during the ninth century.
The three walls have encouraged interpretations of Cahercommaun as a royal residence, but its buildings and finds do not establish that role securely. The outer walls were not built strongly enough to provide substantial military protection, and the walls extending inward from them appear to have supported domestic organization. The fort may instead have served as a place where tribute and patronage were gathered within the small kingdoms of the period. One interpretation connects it with the collection of cattle tribute by the Ui Chormaic before transfer to a higher-ranking power such as the Corcu Modruadh.
After possibly less than a century, the settlement entered Phase C. The entrance passage was redirected toward a new central building, and rectangular structures replaced some of the earlier circular buildings. Occupation ended during the tenth century, perhaps in connection with the rise of the Dál gCais, a medieval Irish dynastic group that became dominant in parts of western Ireland and the Burren around this period.
Excavation and protection
Hugh O’Neill Hencken led a six-week excavation at Cahercommaun in 1934 for the Third Harvard Archaeological Expedition. That work established the foundation for later study, although some conclusions about the length of occupation were subsequently revised. Further excavation took place in 2003, refining knowledge of the earlier settlement, the ninth-century occupation, and the changes that followed it.
Cahercommaun is protected as a National Monument of Ireland under reference number 270. It has also been identified as a candidate for inclusion on Ireland’s UNESCO World Heritage list.
Remains
Cahercommaun is an inland promontory fort, an enclosure placed on projecting high ground and strengthened by a natural cliff. It occupies the edge of a steep inland drop facing north over a wooded valley. Three stone walls extend toward the cliff edge, creating an enclosure that measures at least 350 feet from east to west and 245 feet from north to south.
Walls and enclosures
The innermost wall forms an almost complete, formerly D-shaped enclosure and is the strongest of the three. It is approximately 5 feet thick and 4 feet high on the interior, while rising 12 to 14 feet above the cliff. Its construction used approximately 16,500 tons of limestone. The two outer walls form semicircles with radii of about 50 metres. Four walls extend radially between them, creating connected areas that appear to have served domestic purposes as well as defining the settlement.
Entrance and interior terraces
Entry was provided by a paved passage flanked by walls. The passage passed through the inner wall by means of a tunnel about 8 metres long, roofed with large capstones. The inner walls were terraced and were probably higher in the past. By Phase C, accumulated occupation material had raised the interior floor around 1.5 metres above the bedrock, and hearths had been built on the lowest terraces.
Buildings and underground passages
The enclosure contained at least twelve stone buildings constructed at different times. Circular buildings associated with Phase B were partly replaced by rectangular structures during Phase C, when a new building was established at the centre of the inner wall circle and the entrance passage was realigned toward it. Several buildings had souterrains, partly underground stone-built passages or chambers commonly used for storage or refuge. At least two of these were built in dry stone.
Objects and domestic production
The occupation deposits produced wooden spindles, 55 spindle whorls, iron knives and shears, small metal pins and brooches, and a padlock. Together, the textile tools and other implements point to domestic production, probably including wool-related work. A silver brooch found in a souterrain has a design similar to the Tara Brooch, a richly decorated early medieval Irish example of Insular metalwork. The Cahercommaun brooch is preserved in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
Animal bones formed a large part of the excavated material. Cattle made up 97 percent of the assemblage by weight, while sheep, goats, pigs, horses, deer, and other animals were also represented. Other discoveries include a saddle quern, a stone grinding tool used with a handstone, dating from the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age. The saddle quern and a set of sheep shears are on loan to the Clare Museum from the Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland.
Inscribed bone and surviving fabric
The excavations also recovered the Tullycommon bone, which bears two Ogham inscriptions. Ogham was an early medieval writing system made from groups of strokes arranged along an edge or central line. Vegetation has since covered many building foundations in the remote setting, leaving portions of the excavated structures obscured while the principal stone enclosures and surviving archaeological deposits continue to define the site.
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