When discussing ancient settlements in Togher , Ring Forts spring to mind , such as the one off Lios Cross ( see more here ) , which remains Togher's only extant and visible example. The article closes with a look at the location of another former Ring Fort. However , during excavations for a gas pipeline being laid down some years ago , an exciting discovery was made which turned history on its head which will be looked at first.
Souterrain
Photo : Pauline Murphy
During works being carried out in 2009 as part of the Ballinora - Lehenaghmore Gas Pipeline , something unusual was discovered in a field near the old Cork Bandon railway bridge which was brought to the attention of the relevant authorities. Something that had lain hidden for a very long time!
The archaeological excavation , off Mahers Lane in Chetwynd , unearthed the footprint of a circular house but for the first time ever , a souterrain nearby! Obviously living quarters would have been interred inside the ring fort for protection , the remains of which were long gone. Thankfully , nature preserved what was left for well over 2000 years as Archeologists have dated the find to the Bronze Age ( c. 2500 - 500 B.C. )
What is immediately apparent and obviously exciting is that the find proves human habitation in Togher potentially going back well over 4000 years and perhaps even earlier! The purpose of such a construction underground lends itself to many uses ; food storage , security in the event of an attack or simply a place to store grain as it was dry maintaining a constant temperature of 4 Degrees no matter what the temperature was above ground. The word itself derives from the French - " Sous - Terrain " or " under ground " The images below show the area during its excavation phase in 2009 and how it looks today.
Ring Fort
As mentioned above Togher is extremely lucky in having the only extant Ring Fort in the immediate vicinity of Cork City being located in Knocknamallavoge. It is sited in a field off Lios Cross on Spur Hill. It is 80ft. in diameter with some of its original embankment still visible. The surrounding embankment would have been much higher and would have had a wooden palisade on top. Inside would have been the living quarters with animals taken in for the night for security against wolves or raiding parties. A ditch would have also surrounded the whole structure.
( Mark E. Fisher )
Fort Field
Undoubtedly , Togher would have had many more Ring Forts in its past but these have either been completely destroyed by modern development or simply await discovery being worn down by the passage of time. One Townland in particular even owes its name to a Ring Fort - Knockalisheen! This had a Ring Fort up to the 1920s but sadly it must have been destroyed for agricultural use. It was sited in an area known still to this day as the " Fort Field ". The Townland's name itself is a corruption of the original Irish meaning " The Hill of the Little Fort ".
Knockalisheen , Togher
Neff household and Liberty Bridge to right
Pauline Murphy
Paul O'Keeffe
Bord Gas Networks
Hegarty Contractors
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