Ballyhenna

Area

119,483 m² (11.95 ha, 29.52 acres)

Buildings

No building touches it.

Zoning

No zone of a development plan covers it in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply.

Townland

Ballyhenna

Planning applications on this parcel

No planning application touches this parcel in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 9 recorded monuments.

• CL004-077001 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On a gentle rise in good pasture overlooked by higher ground to NW and N with commanding views in other directions. Within a large field system (CL008-053001-). Hachured on the 1842 OS 6-inch map and named ‘Cahercloggaun’ on the 1915 edition. The remains of a tower house (CL004-077002-) lie in the SE quadrant. Described in the OS Letters (1839) as an ancient caher which gave name to the castle and the townland (Comber 1997, 70). The cashel is listed by Fitzpatrick (2009, 302) as one of three ‘cathairs’ associated with late medieval tower houses. A subcircular cashel (int. dims. 33m N-S; 31m E-W) defined by a roughly coursed drystone wall (Wth 3.2-3.5m; int. H 1.1-1.5; ext. H 2.5-3.1m) composed of regular blocks which form a uniform wall-face. The inner wall-face is constructed from small regular blocks and is best preserved from S to W (max. H 1.5m). The outer wall-face is built on a plinth (H 0.5m) from N to NE and comprises large regular blocks with base-batter at N (H 2.8m) and W (H 3.1m). Cunningham (1980, 47) noted that the walls in the SW ‘are massive, with huge regular blocks, creating upright joints a few feet apart’. The wall is lowest at E (H 0.8m) and missing at SE where the tower house was built. Several low interconnecting banks cross the interior. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 13 June 2022

• CL004-077002 Castle - tower house
  Description

  In the SE quadrant of a cashel (CL016-077001-) and within a large field system (CL008-053001-). The cashel (CL016-077001-) is described by Westropp (1901, 13) as ‘an ancient residence of the O'Loughlins, who, probably in the fifteenth century, built a peel tower in its garth preserving the ring-wall as a bawn’. Westropp (ibid.) also notes that the tower house ‘inhabitants seem to have been in constant trouble with the Government’ and several pardons are recorded. The tower house gateway faced SE and was ‘demolished long before 1878, and, indeed, probably before 1839’ and to the S of the gateway ‘heaps of grass-grown masonry, with traces of an ambrey and steps, mark the site of the castle’ (Westropp 1901, 14). According to Cunningham (1980, 47) all that remained of the castle was a ‘narrow lintelled porch still visible in the mound of rubble’. The name Cahercloggaun is translated by Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997, 47) as ‘Cahair a’ chlochain-The Fort of the Stone House’. Very little of the tower house remains except for a mound of stone (9m NE-SW; 7.5m NW-SE) which extends outside the cashel wall with a hollow in the centre which contains mortared masonry and a lintled doorway leading to the base of a stairway. The stairway survives as ten steps which lead towards the cashel wall in the SE and near the base, on either side of the stairs, two narrow windows survive but have been blocked up by rubble (Ua Cróinín and Breen 1997, 47). The tower house has been listed by Fitzpatrick (2009, 302) as one of three late medieval tower houses found in association with a cathair site. The following items have been uploaded: CL004-077002-_01.pdf Details from Risteárd Ua Cróinín and Martin Breen, The Castles and Tower-houses of Co. Clare (unpublished report). Uploaded courtesy of R. Ua Cróinín and M. Breen. CL004-077002-_01.jpg View of tower house site from N. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 13 June 2022

• CL004-078 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On high ground with excellent views in all direction, overlooked by a hill from NW to N with lower ground to the E and S and within a large field system (CL008-053001-). Hachured and named ‘Cahermoyle’ on the 1842 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps. Referred to by O’ Donovan (1839) as ‘Caher-Mael in the Townland of Cragreagh’ (Comber 1997, 71). Described by Westropp (1901, 16) as ‘featureless and much dilapidated’ (27.7m N-S; 29.2m E-W) with coarsely built walls (T 2.1m; H 2.4m). A roughly circular cashel (int. dims. 30m N-S; 28m E-W) defined by a drystone wall. The inner wall-face is best preserved in the N (int. H 0.9m; Wth 2.1m; ext. H 1.1m) and decreases in height and width in the W (int. H 0.5m; Wth 0.9m; ext. H 1.1m). The wall is best preserved externally (H 1.1m in N; H 1.8m in S) where it is composed of large regular blocks set on their sides. At WSW one stone set on edge (L 1.8m; H 0.8m) is much larger than other stones in the wall. A gap in the NNW where the cashel wall thickens is an original entrance (Wth 1.8m) and has an original rock floor. The interior is level. The following image has been uploaded: CL004-078----_01.jpg Cashel exterior and entrance from NW Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 30 November 2022

• CL005-276 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On a SE-facing slope in an area of scrub within a large field system (CL008-053001-). A subcircular enclosure (diam. c. 27m) defined by a stone wall visible on Google Earth (imagery date 2 April 2005) and on Digital Globe (2011-2013). The townland boundary with Cragreagh runs along the perimeter from NW to E. Cahermoyle (CL004-078----) lies c. 145m to the W. Compiled by: Mary Tunney  Date of upload: 10 November 2025

• CL008-052 Standing stone
  Description

  In a slight hollow on a low prominent hill, in undulating pastureland and outcropping limestone, within a field system (CL008-053001-). Labelled 'Kilmoon Standing Stone' on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. When inspected in 1998, this standing stone (H 3.47m; Wth 0.33m; T 0.15m) was upright, leaned slightly to the E, was uniform in shape along its length and was rectangular in cross-section; it had rough surfaces except where worn smooth by cattle rubbing against it. In 2006 the stone broke at its base and fell to the E. A number of small stones were noted close to it, some of which were well set in the ground while others were lying loose on the ground surface. These could be packing or support stones. The widely visible standing stone may have functioned as a termon marker associated with the medieval church (CL008-049001-) of Kilmoon, which lies 470m to the WSW. Local sources suggest that the standing stone may have marked a route between this church and another church (CL005-108001-) at Killeaney, 1.1km to the NE. The following images have been uploaded: CL008-052----_01 View of standing stone from S (1998) CL008-052----_02 View of fallen standing stone from W (2006) Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 19 October 2022

• CL008-053001 Field system
  Description

  A network of irregular field walls (c. 1.km NE-SW; c. 800m NW-SE) visible on Digital Globe (2011-2013) and on OSi Aerial Premium (2012-2018) extending across Ballyhenna and Cahercloggaun townlands and associated with 4 cashels including Cahercloggaun itself (CL004-077001-) and Cahermoyle (CL004-078----). A number of fields in the area have been reclaimed. Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 30 August 2021

• CL008-053002 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On a gentle S-facing slope, in undulating pastureland and karst limestone outcrops, within a field system (CL008-053001-). Hachured on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. This roughly suboval cashel-like enclosure (int. dims. 43.2m NNE-SSW; 31.8m WNW-ESE) is defined by a wide and partly overgrown stone wall and associated tumble (combined Wth 5-7m; int. H 0.55m; ext. H 0.65-1.4m). A later drystone wall has been built on top of it. Another NNW-SSE running field wall crosses the interior at WNW and E. Also within the interior, a number of barely traceable collapsed walls suggest internal divisions; one wall (L c. 30m) running NW-SE extends roughly across the middle of the enclosure and other walls extend off it to the NNE and SSW. A hut site (CL008-053004-) lies c. 36.5m to the NNE. Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 20 October 2022

• CL008-053003 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On a gentle SSW-facing slope, in undulating pastureland and karst limestone outcrops, within a field system (CL008-053001-). This suboval cashel-like enclosure (int. dims. 45m NE-SW; 32.6m NW-SE) has been disturbed by later field-wall construction. From N-SE the collapsed wall (Wth 7m) is overlain by a later field wall (H 1m) and is heavily overgrown from N-E. It is best preserved from SE-SW where it is defined by a double-faced randomly coursed stone wall (Wth 2.7; int. H 0.55m). Some large limestone uprights are also visible in its make-up and field-clearance rubble has been packed against the outer wall-face. Current aerial imagery (OSi digitalglobe 2011-2013) indicates that the cashel was originally more circular in plan and that the NW-SE running field wall running through its W edge clipped the enclosing wall at W and N. The outline of the cashel wall is visible on the imagery to the NW of this wall. Within the interior, a subrectangular area (13m NW-SE; 9m NE-SW), enclosed by a collapsed and grass-covered wall (Wth 1.2m; H 0.25m), is visible against the S end of the field wall. It may be an internal division. A telegraph pole has been erected in the N sector. Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 20 October 2022

• CL008-053004 Hut site
  Description

  On a gentle S-facing slope, in undulating pastureland and karst limestone outcrops, within a field system (CL008-053001-). This circular hut site (int. diam. 4.6m) is defined by a collapsed and grass-covered wall (Wth 0.5m; H 0.45m) with an entrance gap (Wth 0.7m) at the NW. A possible cashel (CL008-053002-) lies c. 36.5m to the SSW. The following image has been uploaded: CL008-053004- View from SW Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 20 October 2022

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Ground and risks

Radon

At the centre of this parcel, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as high, moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of this parcel.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Download this parcel as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program. GeoJSON, in WGS 84, suits a map, and KML opens in Google Earth.

Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.