Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Comraghs

Situated at the summit of a NW-SE drumlin ridge, this rath is depicted on McCrea’s map of Co. Monaghan (1793). It is a subcircular grass-covered area (dims 28m E-W; 23.2m NW-SE) defined by an earthen bank (Wth of base 3.8-5.8m; int. H 0.3-0.7m; ext. H 1.1-1.3m) with some bushes, which is incorporated into a field bank with an outer stone facing NNW-NE, and a complete outer fosse (Wth of top 3.3-5.2m; Wth of base 1.2-2.8m; ext. D 0.2-0.5m). A gap at N is blocked by a tree but the original entrance (Wth of base 1.1m) is at S. A grass-covered depression (L 5.5m NNE-SSW; Wth 1.3-1.5m; max. D 0.7m) inside the bank at NW and another hollow (L 4m) 2m to the SW could represent two collapsed portions of a souterain. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of revision: 27 July 2017