Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Clarkill

Situated on flat pasture with extensive views. A large impressive circular area (diam. 50m E-W) enclosed by two earth and stone banks with a wide flat-bottomed intervening fosse (Wth 3-10m; D 1m) and a possible causewayed entrance (Wth 3m) at S. The inner bank is mainly reduced to a scarp (ext. H 2m) while the better preserved outer bank (Wth 7m; int. H 2-3m; ext. H 1.5-2m) displays evidence of drystone wall-facing survivng 5 courses high on its external face from N to E. The possible wall-footings of a square-shaped hut site (dims. 5.5m N-S; 5.5m E-W) are located in the centre of the interior which is heavily overgrown making examination difficult. (Same monument as record number TN007-058----). 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

A fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Clarkill is a likely early-medieval defensive or ritual site, characterized by dual concentric banks and a wide fosse. Local tradition associates such sites with fairy folk, and they were often avoided due to beliefs in supernatural inhabitation.