Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Fountainhill

In pasture, located on a NW−facing terrace on a low hill. A modern road skirts the base of the hill at W−NW This rath is not shown on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. It has been partly levelled and the remains are now very low profile at ground level. Subcircular area (38m N−S; 41m E−W) defined by a levelled bank. At W−E the bank is reduced to a broad, low undulation (Wth 3-4), which merges with the natural fall of ground at the terrace edge; at NW the terrace slope drops 1.7m to lower ground. At SE−SW the bank is evident as an inward-sloping scarp (int. H c. 0.7m), which cuts across the rising hill slope. Stones protrude from the sod in parts around the perimeter. A low area (Wth c. 3-4m) on the perimeter at E, with a gently external slope, may be an original entrance. There is another, poorly defined low area at SW. In the NW quadrant, a low scarp (H 0.45m) curves NW−N in a shallow arc (L c. 7m), with a large stone or bedrock protruding from the N end. It marks a drop in interior ground level along the NW perimeter of the terrace. There are two enclosure (MA121-068----; MA121-069----) 225m and 350m to SE and E, respectively, and Kilkeeran church (MA121-065001-) and ecclesiastical enclosure (MA121-065003-) are located 450m to W. Attached images: MA121-199----_01.JPG Viewed from E MA121-199----_02.JPG Viewed from W MA101-199----_03.JPG Levelled bank on E arc Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 31 March 2021