Ballyhoura (Limerick) County Limerick
The townland of Cush is located on the western slopes of Slievereagh, about 700 to 800 feet high, and two miles north of Kilfinane. Cush contains an extensive complex of ancient fields and enclosures and was excavated in 1932-1934. These excavations revealed that the site was continuously occupied by an agricultural community from around 1000 BC to 400 AD.
To the south, six ring forts were joined together with a large rectangular enclosure located to the west. Seventy rotary querns, glass beads, a Bronze Age urn, an abundance of iron slag and several burials were found. One fort was apparently set aside as a burial ground, while other cremated burials in decorated urns were discovered under Bronze Age mounds. A field system, marked out by earth banks and ditches of the early Iron Age or early Christian Era, surrounds the site.
There are a number of information panels on the excavations at Cush available to view in Ballinvreena Community centre.
There is an OPW signed walk to access Cush Earthworks 1km from the village of Ballinvreena.
Coordinates: 52 °22’52″N 8 °26’34″W
