Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Cloonsillagh

In pasture, on a N-facing slope and just below the summit of a ridge. A roughly circular area (32m E-W; 28m N-S) defined NW-E by a scarp (H 1.45m) with a slight internal lip (Wth c. 2m), ESE-S by a field boundary wall (Wth 0.7m; H 0.8m) and SSW-W by an earthen bank (Wth c. 4m; int. H 1.3; ext. H 1.5m) topped with remnants of a field boundary wall. The scarp has a vertical face with traces of stone facing, probably a relatively recent modification. An external fosse (Wth c. 4m; D 0.8m) is evident S-N and E-ESE. It is quite well defined S-SW where it is cut into rising ground but is visible W-NW only as a shallow depression (Wth c. 2.5m), petering out at N and also E-ESE where a very slight depression can be seen. The N portion of the interior is raised to compensate for the hillslope; the S half slopes down very slightly to S. Abutting the outer edge of the fosse at NW is a low triangular flat-topped rise (4m NE-SW; 4m NW-SE; H 0.5m). The bank and fosse at S are quite densely covered in brambles and bushes. Occasional sycamores and ash trees grow elsewhere around the perimeter. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008