What is recorded here

Claraghatlea North held a double-fenced fort with a deep moat at the foot of Claragh mountain, large enough to dominate the pasture before machinery erased its shape. The earth kept its memory through maps and measurements until local hands levelled the rampart around 1966, leaving only a faint rise for humans to imagine.

In pasture, on break in N-facing slope, at foot of Claragh mountain. Depicted as hachured circular enclosure (diam. c. 45m) on 1842 OS 6-inch map; as hachured circular raised area (diam. c. 25m) with external fosse S->N on 1904 and 1936 OS 6-inch maps. Slight rise visible in area of site; according to local information levelled c. 1966. Recorded by Bowman (1934, 316) as 'practically levelled' single-ramparted fort (diam. c. 35yd) on C. O'Sullivan's land, with interior c. 18in higher than outside field level. According to Broker (1937, 45), most eastern fort on C. O'Sullivan's land is the largest of the two and has a 'double fence' and 'deep moat'. Second ringfort (CO039-04101-) in same field to W. 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

A fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Claraghatlea North is an early-medieval circular earthwork, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries, used as a small defensive or agricultural settlement. The site is associated with local folklore regarding fairies or supernatural beings, common in Irish tradition for such mounds and enclosures.

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