Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Ballard (corkaree By.)

Situated in improved pasture, with excellent views in all directions, particularly over Lough Owel to NE. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a roughly circular earthwork. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as an oval-shaped earthwork within a small sub-rectangular field, on a spot height (118m/387ft OD). Described in 1983 as a roughly oval-shaped area (dims. 32m N-S; 29m E-W) enclosed by an inner bank, intervening fosse and outer bank which are present SE-S-W-N and have been levelled N-E-SE. The inner bank (approx. int. H 0.5m; ext. H 2-2.5m) is steep and best preserved from W-NW. The intervening fosse (approx. Wth 1-2m; D 0.5-1m deep) is deep and well preserved. The outer bank (approx. H 0.5m) is best preserved W-NW and is perceptible, although disturbed at S-SW-W, where an old quarry pit encroaches. The perimeter has been levelled out from N-E-SE and the entire interior disturbed in the 1970s by insertion of a silage pit. Monument is visible today as a partially tree-lined ringfort, which appears open where disturbed to ENE, on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019