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Cashel is an early Christian cashel located in County Down, Northern Ireland. A cashel is a small, fortified settlement enclosed by a stone wall, typically dating from the early medieval period. This particular example is situated on bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation laid down during the Telychian period, which provides a firm foundation for the dry-stone walls characteristic of such monuments.
The site lies within an area rich in early Christian heritage. Cashels served as domestic and ecclesiastical centres for communities ranging from farming families to monastic groups, with their defensive stone enclosures providing protection during a period of social instability. The walls of these structures, built without mortar, were carefully constructed to withstand the elements and potential threats.
This cashel is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 7160, recognising its significance as evidence of early medieval settlement patterns and construction techniques. The survival of such monuments across the Irish landscape provides valuable insights into how early Christian communities organised their living spaces and adapted to the local terrain and available building materials.
Cashel is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7160. View the official record →
Cashel is an early Christian cashel located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7160.
Cashel dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a cashel. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cashel is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 7160.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (3.1 km), Ardagaualle, machairyedargawall, maccharedruall, meacarne-de-odargulla. medieval & modern church & graveyard with enclosure (3.8 km), Magheradrool fort. counterscarp rath (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cashel's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Cashel stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.