Discover Alone, back to main map

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Coolvackagh,foildarrig

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Double earthen rings and a deep ditch still mark Coolvackagh, where the Feale flows two fields east. The western curve carves an oval hollow inside the main chamber, as if the fort kept a smaller room within its own body. People may have lived, hidden or worshipped there before written memory, while later stories gave the same stones to fairies.
Internal diameter 26.6m N-S, 32m E-W This bivallate rath is situated on a rise, and the River Feale lies two fields to the E. It consists of a sub-circular inner area which is enclosed by two earthen banks and an intervening fosse. The enclosing bank rises to 1m-1.5m above the interior and 1.8m-3.2m above the fosse. The intervening fosse is well defined, deep and wide, and ranges from 2m-4m in width. Although the outer bank does not enclose the site fully, it is distinguishable to the N through W to SW, where it is well defined, and for a short distance to the SE. It ranges in width at the base between 2.6m on the NW side to 7.7m on the SE side. It rises to an average of 1.4m above the fosse and .9m above the surrounding land. Two main openings are visible, one to the NE where it is 1.6m wide at the inner bank, at which point a causeway leads across the fosse. The other entrance lies to the SW, where it is 2m at the inner bank and c 6m at the outer bank. The interior is at a higher level than the surrounding land. Contained within the W sector is a semi-circular bank curving into the interior side of the inner bank. This curving bank creates an oval depression, 10.6m x 5.4m internally. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 655. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 2 August 2013

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