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Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Leath West

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Marianne and the children skipped stones across the field beside the fort. They skipped them until the stones struck the earthen bank and bounced back into the circle. The children laughed at the game, but Marianne felt the field watching them like a patient animal. She told them the fort was not empty, only waiting for people clever enough to hear its shape.
Internal diameter 29m N-S, 33m E-W This univallate rath is situated on slightly rising pastureland and has an extensive view of the surrounding land. It consists of a sub-circular area enclosed by an earthen bank and exterior fosse. The enclosing bank is on average 7m wide at the base, and it rises to a maximum of 1.09m above the interior and 3.6m above the fosse. The external fosse runs for the whole of the site, except to the N to NE where a fieldbank cuts through it, and is c 1.6m wide and .5m-1.2m deep. A c 4m wide gap to the SE provides access to the interior, which is at a higher level than the surrounding land. Contained in the interior are features which possibly suggest house- sites. Extending from the W sector of the interior are two earthen ridges 5.4m apart. They run E for 17.5m. A circular mound, 6m N-S and 5.6m E-W internally and .6m high, is situated at the ridges' end. Extending out of this mound in a S direction are two further ridges, 6m apart, which runs for c 8m before touching the interior of the SE bank. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 764. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 2 August 2013

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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