Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Baile Cainín

Internal diam. 22.1m N-S, 23m E-W. This roughly circular univallate rath is situated on a relatively level shoulder on the otherwise fairly steeply sloping W slopes of the Brandon mountain range. It commands an excellent view S, along the valley of the Milltown river to Dingle Harbour and to the mountains of the Iveragh Peninsula. The external fosse is particularly well-preserved on the upslope side where it is 2.3m deep below the external ground level and 4.1m wide at base. The earthen enclosing bank rises a maximum of 3.5m above the base of the fosse and 1.8m above the interior. To S and SW a drystone wall has been built on the line of the bank, in places using the latter as its core. The entrance faces WSW and consists of a c. 2m wide gap through the bank and an ill-defined causeway across the fosse which is barely perceptible in this sector. There is a modern entrance gap at SW. The interior is occupied by a series of linear ridges, c. 2m wide and .4 to .5m high, whose origin is not known. There are 2 rows of NNW-SSE running ridges, disposed on either side of a central ridge which crosses the site from ENE-WSW. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 318. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 6 August 2013