So today was a very interesting adventure. We had already seen a Castle in Baltimore, and Harry Clarke windows in a church in Castletownshend and now we were looking for a Ring Fort near Castletownshend. We got directions from a young man at a local gallery and made our way down the grass track to the fort. The young man assured us that we could drive to the fort and he was quite correct. However, there was a caveat to that statement that we later discovered.
The Stone Fort is very old and in wonderful condition and the views on a clear day are spectacular.
Perhaps more importantly is the Rock Art located on the site. One large rock is in the center of the fort and one is located outside. The Rock carvings date to about 5,000 BC. The site has been in use since then. This is also a site that lines up with the Beltaine sunset and is significant for that reason.
We were really fortunate to have a beautiful day for out visit. You can see for miles from the walls of the Fort. You have wonderful views of the Irish countryside as well as the Irish coastline.
What our young friend at the gallery failed to tell us was that the track into the Fort is one way. You can’t turn your car around for the return trip of a couple of kilometers back to the road. On top of that, we got stuck as it had been quite wet and the ground was soggy. However, we took a couple of flat rocks from the stone wall and laid them under the front tire which gave us some purchase and very carefully backed up the track (a long way) to the road. Well worth the trip. (We replaced the rocks).