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Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Ballycannon

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Mentioned in the Annals for the 6th and 9th centuries, Ballycannon is a fortified townland where a circular earthen ring stands beside a river gorge. The fort has a broad deep ditch on three sides and a steep drop toward the water on the fourth, forming a place that could be seen from a distance and defended with little effort. People may have lived there, watched the river, or kept stock inside the ditch. The flat land and open views make the shape easy to understand, while the old name and repeated annal mentions keep it tied to a longer human story.
In flat terrain at the W edge of a roughly N-S river valley, with the river gorge running E-W c. 30m S of the monument, in reclaimed grassland. There are good views in all directions. A roughly circular (diam. c. 35m)raised area (H c. 1.7m) enclosed by a very broad deep fosse (Wth 5-8m; D 1m) in the N, E and W sectors, with a steep drop (H c. 4m) to the river gorge at the S. The interior is dished towards the centre, gradually inclining by c. 0.5m. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 30 March 2020

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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