Caherconnell Stone Fort

Location: The Burren Map

Inhabited: 500- 1500 AD

Official site

Tel. 065-708 9999

Open: mid- March- Oct

Mon-Sun: 10am -5:30pm
Mon-Sun: 10am-6:30pm (Jul-Aug)

Adult: € 6
Student/OAP: € 5
Child: € 4
Family: € 16

Caherconnell Stone Fort is located about 1 km (0.6 miles) South of the Poulnabrone dolmen. Citadel was constructed by Celtic tribes in 500 AD although it was inhabited as late as early 17th century. Caherconnell Stone Fort has a ring layout with a diameter of 45 meters.

The castle is located at a distance of about 1 km to the West of the ancient megalithic buildings - dolmen Polnabroun. The castle is built on karst limestone lands unsuitable for agriculture.
In the middle ages, the fortress belonged to the feudal lords of the o'loglen family.
Now most of Caherconnell stone fort is destroyed.

Architecture
The building is a stone wall, built in the form of a circle with a diameter of 42 m. the Walls are up to 3 m thick. the Wall is made of local limestone. The entrance to the fortress is located to the East. In the middle of the fortress there are remains of internal walls, about 1 m thick. the Fortress is similar to other round fortresses of Ireland, such as Kagermor and Kagermaknagten. These round fortresses were used for a long time-until the late middle ages.

Archaeological excavations
In 2007, archaeological excavations were carried out in the fortress of Caerconnel under the direction of Grahama gall. Radiocarbon analysis of the remains of the tree allowed to date some of the structures to the beginning of the Tenth century. Found artifacts indicate that the structure was used in the X-XIII centuries. Some facilities were built in the early XV century. As archaeologists suggest, in the XIV century the fortress was abandoned, but then again became operational. During the excavations found the remains of a forge and the remains of items that were quite rare expensive in the middle ages. The place where the fortress was located was isolated and for a long time did not experience Anglo-Norman influence and was not under the control of England. The o'loghlen clan, who lived here in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, were not of the main branch of the clan. The main branch lived in the castle Gentled, which is located in 3 km to the North of the fortress.
In addition to medieval artifacts, artifacts of the iron and bronze ages, the Neolithic era were found. Obviously a defensive structure existed here in very ancient times.
Now this structure is open to tourists, on the territory of the monument are practicing students-archaeologists.