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Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Balgree

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Fairy fort in Balgree, County Meath: a rectangular grass enclosure, 37m by 34m, bounded by earthen banks and hedges except a stone wall on the west, set low on a hill slope. Called a fort on old maps, it may have been a dwelling, a boundary marker, or a place people avoided after dark. Its flat green shape and hidden entrance suggest ordinary life under a name that feeds wonder.
Situated towards the bottom of the NE-facing slope of a hill. This is represented as a subrectangular embanked enclosure described as a ‘Fort’ on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map and as a rectangular hachured feature on the 1912 edition. It is a rectangular grass-covered area (dims 37m E-W; 34m N-S) defined by earthen banks (Wth of base 4-4.4m; int. H 0.2-0.6m; ext. H 1-1.8m) and hedges on each side except the W where there is a stone wall. There is no visible fosse but the original entrance is probably a gap (Wth of base 2.5m) towards the N end of the E side, which is slightly convex. 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: 27 February 2019

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What survives
Recorded monument

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