Summary
Cahirciveen, Wednesday.—This morning, we decided on a visit to Bally Carbery castle, and an old ruin in its neighbourhood, which is said to have much resemblance to an ancient amphitheatre. After crossing the ferry, a walk of about a mile brought us to the curious ruin we were in search of.
It is called Cahir-Gal, and resembles the drawing I have seen of Steague Fort, and this word Gal a countryman translated “white,” the same as “bawn.” Father Casey would probably give it the same derivation as the Galtees, and establish it as a “fire city,” thus referring it to heathen origin. The people here attribute its building to the time of the Danes, whom they call in Irish, Lehullonoch.
It is an extraordinary structure, enclosing a circular space of about 30 yards in diameter; but I do not think it could ever have been intended for an amphitheatre. The walls are without cement, of excellent masonry; the highest part being about 14 feet in height. In the centre are the remains of a circular building, which appears to have had subterranean passages; but of this it is difficult to judge, as a shed for lambs has been constructed out of the fallen stones.
The grandmother of a peasant, whom we met there, recollects this building with a roof, narrowing to one stone, of similar construction to the cell of Gollerus, which we saw near Dingle.
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- Rambles in the South of Ireland during the Year 1838 , pp. 263 - 282Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1839