What is recorded here

Fairy fort in Island, County Cork, is a triple-ramparted ringfort with a living stream flowing through its ditch. A 32-metre earthen circle holds a hidden passage in the south-east, while trees and shadow swallow the rest. Bowman recorded much of it levelled in 1934, yet the water still moves through the ancient ditch like breath.

In pasture, on S-facing slope. Site heavily overgrown with trees, bushes and scrub. Roughly circular area ( 32.5m N-S) defined by earthen bank (int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1.45m) to N, S and W; intervening fosse (D 2.75m); outer earthen bank (H 0.45m) survives to N and S; external fosse to S (D 2.05m). Stream flows through intervening fosse from N anticlockwise to S. Entrance (Wth 3.5m) to E. Interior slopes down to S; low mound on E side; possible Man-made underground passage (CO022-272---) in SE quadrant. Bowman (1934, 176-7) recorded triple-ramparted ringfort with 'about seven-eights [sic] of the outer, and half of the middle and inner ramparts, levelled'. 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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