Black fort, fairy fort in County Monaghan

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Located on a shelf on a NE-facing slope. It is described in gothic lettering on the 1834 and 1907 editions of the OS 6-inch map as the ‘Black fort’, but it is known locally as ‘Liscowan an Ór’ (IFC Schools’ MSS 933, 313-4: https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes). This is a circular slightly domed (H 0.8-1.3m) and overgrown area (diam. 45m WNW-ESE; 44m N-S) with rock outcrop defined by an earthen bank (Wth of base 4.8-5.6m; int. H 1-1.3m; ext. H 1.8-2m) separated by a flat-bottomed fosse (Wth of top 5.8-6.6m; Wth of base 1.8-2m; ext. D 1-1.5m) that is partly rock-cut at N from an outer bank (Wth of base 3.2-4.2m; ext. H 0.8-1m) that is missing ESE-S. There are gaps in the inner bank at W, NW, ENE, SE and S, but the original entrance is not identified. The interior is cut by a NW-SE field wall that has another field bank extending NE from it at the centre of the rath. There is a local belief that there is an underground passage within it, but there is no physical evidence of this. Revised by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 31 January 2018

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record MO027-086001

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Maker not stated on source page, commons.wikimedia.org
Maker not stated on source page, www.geograph.ie
Maker not stated on source page, www.pinterest.com
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National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Fintan McTiernan; published by Monaghan GAA, www.flickr.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.wikidata.org
Maker not stated on source page, www.neverstoptraveling.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.rootsireland.ie

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