What is recorded here

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Gortloney stands on a NW-SE ridge in County Meath, Ireland. Its earthen bank, wide fosse and outer field bank still mark a circular home or stronghold from the distant past. People may have lived, worked or hidden there before the land changed around them. The shape remains clear enough to imagine, even when the names and events have faded.

Situated on a NW-SE ridge in an undulating landscape. This is a raised circular overgrown area (diam. 26.5m WNW-ESE) defined by an overgrown earthen bank (at WNW: Wth of base 7.5m; int. H 1.4m; ext. H 3.8m) W-N that is largely reduced to an external scarp (at ESE: H 3.4m). It is surrounded by a fosse (Wth of top 6-7m; Wth of base 1-2m; ext. D 0.2m at E to 1.3m at W), with an outer field bank (at WSW: Wth of base 1.5m; ext. H 0.3m) SE-W-NNW. The original entrance (Wth of base 2.5m) and causeway (Wth of top 2.1m; H 0.4m) are at SE. Rath (ME015-066----) is c. 150m to the N. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 9 January 2019

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