What is recorded here

Fairy forts are named by humans who refused to admit they were once ordinary homes. This is one of them: a double-ringed earthwork in Coonogue, County Carlow, its inner bank still standing with stone facing on both sides. The outer ring has weakened, and a field wall has cut through part of the enclosure, but the shape remains. That is enough to recognize. A fort is a fort whether people remember it or replace it with fairy stories.

The following description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Carlow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Approximately circular area (diam. 21m NE-SW, 17m SE-NW) enclosed by earthen bank with stone facing on both faces (int. H 1m, ext. H 1.2m; Wth 3m). Second, less well-preserved bank incorporating stone and large boulders stands 1.5-5m outside inner bank (H 0.6m-0.9m). From N to S the enclosing features have been replaced by a field wall.

A fairy fort, or earthen ringfort, in Coonogue is a small, circular earthwork enclosure typical of early-medieval Ireland, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries AD. Local folklore associates such sites with the faé or supernatural beings, and they were often avoided or revered by rural communities.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.