What is recorded here

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Gillardstown is a fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Gillardstown, County Westmeath, Ireland. It sits on a hill shoulder in pasture land with commanding views over the valley to the southeast, near a small lake to the north and two other ringforts to the north and southeast. The site features a circular raised area with an approximate diameter of 29 metres east to west and 30 metres north to south, enclosed by a well preserved earthen bank, a steep fosse, and an outer bank. A 2.5 metre wide entrance gap through the banks at the east leads to an interior that slopes gently from southwest to northeast.

Situated on the shoulder of a hill in pasture-land with commanding views over the valley to SE. Small lake 80m to N. Ringfort (WM007-060---) 500m to N. Ringfort (WM007-064----) 450 to SE. A circular raised area (approx. diam. 29m E-W; 30m N-S) enclosed by a well preserved earthen bank, a steep fosse and outer bank. There is an entrance gap (Wth 2.5m) through the banks at E. The interior slopes gently from SW-NE. A post-1700 laneway running N-S intersected the site at W. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular ringfort with laneway and farmhouse immediately to W with field boundaries radiating out from site at NNE and S. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 April 2017

A fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Gillardstown is a circular raised earthwork, typical of early-medieval ringforts (c. 500–1000 AD), likely used as a defensive or agricultural settlement. Local folklore associates such sites with the faé, and they were often avoided due to beliefs in supernatural activity.

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