Enclosure

Situated on a gently undulating landscape. According to the Civil Survey (1654) Anne Hussy, described as an Irish Papist, owned 338 acres at Moynalvy in 1640, and on the land were a stone house, an old castle and 10 cabins. She also owned 60 acres in Crickstown, and other members of the Hussy family owned land in the barony of Deece (Simington 1940, 148-9). Earthwork banks and ditches covering about 64 acres (c. 25.5 ha) in nine fields are visible on a vertical aerial photograph (GSIAP: N 299) from the 1970s. The banks (Wth c. 3m; H 0.2-0.8m), ditches (Wth c. 2-2.5m; D 0.2-0.3m) and scarps create small rectangular or irregular fields (dims c. 60m x c. 50m). Within the field system (ME043-023----) is half a large oval enclosure that is just a D-shaped raised area (dims c. 200m N-S; c. 70m E-W) defined by a scarp (at S: H 0.5-0.6m) and outer ditch S-W-N, but a boundary for the large enclosure N-E-S is not evident. A sunken roadway (Wth 11m) can be traced running NNE-SSW through its N extent (L c. 50m). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 26 August 2019

A large early-medieval fairy fort (ringfort/rath) in Moynalvy, likely dating to between the 6th and 10th centuries. The site is associated with local folklore surrounding fairy activity and may have been a defended homestead, as suggested by historical references to stone structures in the area.