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Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Laharan South

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Fairy fort in Laharan South, County Kerry: a circular earthen enclosure, locally remembered as a children's burial ground, set in gentle pasture at the foot of Aghatubrid mountain. Its bank is barely visible beneath overgrowth, about ninety centimetres high on the north side, and the stony interior gives no clear edge inside. The shape is simple enough to walk around, yet the local name suggests it was kept separate, perhaps sacred, perhaps feared.
This site, marked as a circular enclosure on both editions of the OS map, is known locally as a children's burial ground (KE088-002----). It is located in gentle W sloping pasture at the foot of Aghatubrid mountain. The enclosing bank of earth and gravel, barely discernible beneath a dense overgrowth, has an external height of .9m at N. Its inner lace is not distinguishable from the stony, and apparently featureless, interior of the site. The overall dimensions of the enclosure are 22m N-S and 25m E-W. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1033. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 July 2013
A fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Laharan South is a circular early-medieval defensive or domestic enclosure, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries AD. Locally known as a children's burial ground, it reflects the site's dual association with both ancient settlement and later folklore surrounding the Otherworld and fairy belief.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What survives
Recorded monument

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