Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0687 Tory Hill, Limerick

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database LI022-111001 (None)

NMR:  LI 022 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  553170  Y:  642877  (IRENET95)

Summary

Possible contour fort identified by Grogan (2005b, 113). Positioned surrounding the summit of Tory Hill, an isolated hilltop situated in low-lying terrain, with extensive views from the summit. Possible hillfort overlooks river to E. There is no information regarding the enclosing elements available. No obvious entrance features recorded. No evidence for any internal features on the surface (Grogan 2005b, 113). There has been no archaeological investigations of this hillfort and further information is not available. First identified by Grogan (2005b, 113).The hillfort is not depicted in any historic mapping.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -967396  Y:  6897486  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -8.69026710781948  Latitude:  52.53522760683654  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Limerick

Historic County:  Limerick

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Tory Hill

Monument Condition

Dense woodland and scrub growth over the entire monument. Monument condition unknown.

Condition:
Extant   ✗
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland   ✓
Commercial Forestry Plantation   ✗
Parkland   ✗
Pasture (Grazing)   ✗
Arable   ✗
Scrub/Bracken   ✗
Bare Outcrop   ✗
Heather/Moorland   ✗
Heath   ✗
Built-up   ✗
Coastal Grassland   ✗
Other   ✗

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Hillfort closely following the contours, positioned on the commanding and isolated Tory Hill, overlooking low-lying terrain in all directions.

Type:
Contour Fort   ✓
Partial Contour Fort   ✗
Promontory Fort   ✗
Hillslope Fort   ✗
Level Terrain Fort   ✗
Marsh Fort   ✗
Multiple Enclosure Fort   ✗

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop   ✓
Coastal Promontory   ✗
Inland Promontory   ✗
Valley Bottom   ✗
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   ✗
Ridge   ✗
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   ✗
Hillslope   ✗
Lowland   ✗
Spur   ✗

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Isolated hill in low-lying terrain.

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✓

Altitude:  113.0m

Boundary

Hillfort positioned 60m to W of townland boundary of Rathcannon and Garrane. S and SW sections of enclosing elements mark the townland boundary of Rathcannon and Corrabulbeg.

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


Dating Evidence

No dating evidence.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC   ✗
1200BC - 800BC   ✗
800BC - 400BC   ✗
400BC - AD50   ✗
AD50 - AD400   ✗
AD400 - AD 800   ✗
Post AD800   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First identified by Grogan (2005b, 113). There have been no archaeological investigations of this hillfort. The hillfort is not depicted in any historic mapping.

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (2005):   Grogan (2005b, 113)

Interior Features

No evidence for any internal features on the surface.

Water Source

River 60m to the E of hillfort. This feeds Lough Naggirra, a small lake 600m to NE.

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features   ✓
Round Stone Structures   ✗
Rectangular Stone Structures   ✗
Curvilinear Platforms   ✗
Other Roundhouse Evidence   ✗
Pits   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✓
Pits   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

NO APPARENT FEATURES

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✗
None   ✓
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

No obvious entrance features recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

No record of enclosing elements available. Hillfort under dense forestry.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   2.02ha.
Total:   2.02ha.

Total Footprint Area:  2.27ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   No record of enclosing elements available. Grogan (2005b, 113) suggests the hillfort is univallate, however, if the condition of the enclosing elements is unknown.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   None
SE Quadrant:   None
SW Quadrant:   None
NW Quadrant:   None
Total:   None

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗

Surface Evidence

Unknown

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Rubble   ✗
Wall-walk   ✗
Evidence of Timber   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
Other   ✓

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Murus Duplex   ✗
Timber-framed   ✗
Timber-laced   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
No Known Excavation   ✓
Other   ✗

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✗   Unknown.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None.

References

Grogan, 2005b. The North Munster Project Vol. 2. Wordwell, Dublin.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


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