Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Ballyduag

Situated on the gentle SW-facing slope of a low N-S ridge in undulating countryside. A raised oval-shaped area (diam. 63m NW-SE; 61m E-W) enclosed by a poorly preserved earth and stone bank mainly reduced to a scarp (H 1-2m), a wide, flat-bottomed fosse (Wth 4-6m; D 0.85m) and an external bank of earth and stone (Wth 3m; ext. H 0.5m). There is a causewayed entrance (Wth 4.7m) at NE. Evidence of internal and external wall-facing of the outer bank is best preserved at NE with evidence of possible wall-footings on top of the inner bank also at NE. This is a large impressive enclosure with stone defences which might imply a medieval date for usage of the site. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008