Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Ballyknockan (talbotstown Lower By.)

Situated on a gentle W-facing slope overlooking marshy terrain. Bivallate circular ringfort (diam. 23m; max. ext. diam. 41.5m) excavated prior to the construction of the Blessington Reservoir. The site was defined by an earthen bank (Wth 1.5m; H 0.6m) and a fosse (Wth 2.4m; D 1m) with an outer bank (Wth 2.7m; H 0.6m) from SSW-NW-NE. The fosse was separated from the inner bank by a berm (Wth 3-6m) and was partly separated from the outer bank by a second berm (max. Wth 3.4m). There were two narrow gaps (Wth 1m) in the inner bank at the NE and WSW with a more substantial example (Wth 1.5m) at the SSE opposite a causeway in the fosse. A second causeway formed by large stones occurred at the NE but may not have been an original feature. At the S, an L-shaped bank ran from the inner bank outwards across the fosse and then continued eastwards as far as the SSE entrance. Little, other than an arc of irregular paving in the N sector of the interior, was revealed during excavation. (Macalister 1943) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 December 2008

A bivallate circular ringfort (diameter 23m, maximum external diameter 41.5m) in Ballyknockan, likely dating to the early medieval period, situated on a west-facing slope overlooking marshy terrain. Excavated prior to the construction of the Blessington Reservoir, the site is also locally known as a fairy fort, reflecting its traditional association with supernatural or otherworldly beings in Irish folklore.