Aughavinna Fort

At the top of a rise with wide views, in hilly pastureland with overgrowth from SSE to N, and land immediately to the WSW sloping steeply into a ravine in which the Aille River flows N-S. Hachured and labelled 'Aughnavinna Fort' on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as 'Ringfort' in the RMP (1996). This suboval rath (int. dims. c. 25m NNW-SSE; c. 21.5m ENE-WSW) is defined in part by a round-topped earthen bank (Wth 2.2-3.3m; int. H 0.15-0.35m; ext. H 1-1.2m) and a flat-based external fosse (Wth 1.5m; D 1m). The bank survives only from NNW to SSW; it is traceable over the W arc of its circuit (i.e., at the ravine edge) only as a slight and intermittent ridge, overgrown and slightly damaged by recent topsoil removal. Three cattle gaps cut through the bank, at NNE (Wth 0.5m), NE (Wth 1.4m) and ESE (Wth 0.5m). Similarly the fosse is only traceable from NE to SSW; no fosse remains along the ravine from SSW to NNW, while from NNW to NE there is only a berm (Wth 1-2m) outside the bank, perhaps the result of the fosse having been levelled here. Adjacent to the ESE gap in the bank there is a poorly defined causeway in the fosse. A wire fence runs ESE-WNW through the S part of the fosse and beyond. The rath interior slopes gently to the S. The following images have been uploaded: CL008-074----_01.jpg View from SE CL008-074----_02.jpg Closer view from SE Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 29 November 2022

Aughavinna Fort is a ringfort situated on an elevated site with extensive views, typical of early-medieval defensive and agricultural settlements. Local tradition associates such sites with fairy folk, and the name may derive from "Áth Fheinniú," suggesting a crossing or ford linked to the Aille River nearby.