What is recorded here

Fairy forts are often round forts misread through folklore. In Ballyenahan South, a true earthen ringfort stood about thirty-five metres across, mapped repeatedly before being levelled in 1965. Its southern boundary may still mark part of the old bank, while an underground passage hidden beneath the pasture waits to be remembered.

In pasture, on level ground, above gentle SW-facing slope; c. 250m to NNE of Ballyenahan House. Depicted as hachured circular enclosure (diam. c. 35m) on 1842, 1905 and 1936 OS 6-inch maps. Levelled in 1965 during 'Land project scheme' (OPW). Field boundary at S side of site survives; cartographic evidence (1842, 1905 and 1936 OS 6-inch maps) suggests boundary may incorporate portion of original bank. Man-made underground passage (CO018-08702-) discovered during levelling of enclosure. May be 'round fort', described by Windele (1897, 377) on farm of 'Ballyanahan', as '50 paces in diameter; a low rampart on the inside, and about eight feet high on the outside, was surrounded with a mud ditch...entrance, lay at the north east'. Circular enclosure visible as cropmark of fosse in aerial photograph (CUCAP; AYP 87). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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