What is recorded here

Fairy forts are called that because people imagine the fairies live there. The fort in Ballinree is a round earth bank about twenty-five metres across, with trees growing inside. It is not a palace or a magic circle; it is a small enclosed place from before written records. The name adds wonder, but the shape is human: a boundary made of soil, still standing in County Carlow.

The following description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Carlow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Circular area (est diam. c. 25m) enclosed by earthen bank. Interior planted with trees.

A fairy fort, or earthen ringfort in Ballinree, is a circular earthwork enclosure typical of early-medieval Ireland, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries AD. Local folklore associates such sites with the supernatural, often believed to be the homes of fairies or other otherworldly beings.

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