What is recorded here

Fairy forts are human origins wearing a new skin; the ringfort in Curragh is no exception. Its double banks and shallow ditches still mark a circular home or stronghold, even though pasture and field boundaries have softened the edges. People may have lived there, defended it, forgotten it, and later called it fairy because the shape remained when the names and tools were lost.

In pasture, on S-facing slope. Depicted as hachured circular enclosure (diam. c. 50m) on 1842, 1905 and 1937 OS 6-inch maps. Levelled; circular area (28m N-S; 28m E-W) defined by two low earthen banks (int. H inner bank 0.42m) with shallow intervening fosse and external fosse; outer bank (int. H 1.6m) incorporated into field boundary system W->NNW, with external fosse (D 0.7m). Enclosing features also visible as differential growth patterns. Interior slopes down to E. Bowman (1934,402) records double-ramparted fort in D. Nugent's; inner and outer ramparts survived, 2ft to 6ft and 5ft high respectively; external fosse, 9ft wide at field level, was practically filled in; diameter of inner circuit was 37yd. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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