Discover Alone, back to main map

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Balrath Demesne

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Fairy forts are misnamed; they are human ringforts, and this one in Balrath Demesne is a 60m circular grass area marked by a low earthen bank and scarp. It sits on a rise where people once lived, kept animals or defended a neighbourhood, though the entrance has faded from view. The fairies belong to later story, not to the builders.
Situated on a rise in a gently undulating landscape. This is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 60m WNW-ESE; 59m NE-SW) defined by a slight earthen bank NE-SE but largely by a low scarp (at SW: Wth 5m; H 1.2m; at NE: Wth 8m; H 0.4m), with a slight fosse at SW (Wth of top 9m; int. D 1.2m; ext. D 0.3m). The original entrance is not identified. The visible profile may have been eroded away by 2000 (OSAP). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 26 February 2019 Amended: 3 March 2023

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

What survives
Recorded monument

Places near here

Add to this placeAdd a picture Comment or add a tip

Explore 1,118,481 places