Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Farranacardy

In pasture, on the NE outskirts of Sligo Town, located on top of an E-W elevation with a marked fall of ground to S giving extensive views. Immediately to N there a slight dip in ground level marked by a 20-30m wide expanse of low-lying damp, rush-covered ground. Beyond this the ground rises sharply in an E-W ridge that overlooks the rath. Slighlty raised, roughly circular area (diam. c. 30m) defined S–NNW by a substantial earthen bank (Wth c. 4m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 2m), reduced elsewhere to a low scarp (ext. H 0.6-0.7m; Wth slope 1m), and enclosed by an external fosse (Wth 4m; ext. D 0.6m). At the SW there is a low area (Wth 1.4m) in the bank, but it does not appear to be the original entrance; there is no evidence of a corresponding causeway across the fosse at this point. An E-W property fence clips the outer edge of the fosse at N. A roughly circular, sod-covered earthen rise (diam. c. 4m; H 0.4m) is located within the fosse at E; it appears to be the result of relatively recent disturbance. The rath interior is level, and is densely covered in irises and nettles. Blackthorn, hawthorn scrub and a few large ash and sycamore trees grow on the bank. Attached images: SL014-067----_01.JPG Rath viewed from SW SL014-067----_01.JPG Detail of bank and external fosse, at W Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 6 January 2020

A fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Farranacardy is a circular earthwork enclosure typical of early-medieval Ireland, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries. Local tradition associates such sites with the faé or supernatural beings, and they were often considered places of magic or otherworldly activity.