Loher Cashel

Loher Cashel is a circular stone ringfort located on the Iveragh Peninsula with a diameter of roughly 20 meters. Inside are multiple stone structures including a large round house, a rectangular dwelling, and an underground passage, all built with careful dry stone construction.

This fortified settlement was built in the 9th century to serve as a defended farmstead in the region. Traces of earlier wooden structures show that the site was occupied and modified over time before the stone constructions were added.

The site reflects how local people built their homes using stone and careful construction techniques suited to the landscape. You can see how different structures were arranged to create a working settlement.

The site is located roughly 4 kilometers northwest of Derrynane and is best explored on foot wearing appropriate shoes for uneven ground. The stone structures can be climbed and inspected closely, though the terrain requires steady footing.

Hidden beneath the ground is a souterrain, an underground passage that reveals how people used hidden spaces for protection and storage. Such passages were built into many Irish ringforts but are often overlooked by visitors walking above them.