© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Cashel is an Early Christian cashel located near Newry and Mourne in County Down. The monument sits on bedrock formed during the Early Devonian period, when a felsic igneous intrusion was emplaced into the landscape—a hard, light-coloured volcanic rock that would have provided a naturally defensible foundation. Cashels were characteristic fortified farmsteads of Early Christian Ireland and Britain, typically consisting of a circular or oval stone-built enclosure designed to protect livestock and domestic buildings from raid and theft.
This particular cashel is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 8390. The geological character of the site, with its underlying igneous bedrock, would have made it relatively straightforward to construct the drystone walls that define such monuments, whilst the elevated position and rocky terrain enhanced natural defensibility. Early Christian cashels of this period, usually dating between the fifth and twelfth centuries, frequently sat at strategic locations in the landscape.
The survival of this monument reflects the enduring presence of Early Christian settlement patterns in the Newry and Mourne region. Its protected status ensures continued preservation of this evidence for the farming communities and defensive strategies of early medieval Ulster.
Cashel is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8390. View the official record →
Cashel is an Early Christian cashel located near Newry and Mourne in County Down. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8390.
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 8390.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (7 km), Standing stone (7 km), Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (7.1 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 Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.