What is recorded here
Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Loughcrew stands on a high western shelf in County Meath, Ireland. Its double earth banks and narrow entrance mark a small defended home where people likely lived, herded animals or kept belongings safe from weather and raiders. The grassy circle still holds the shape of that choice, preserving a life that no longer speaks but never stopped occupying the hill.
Located on a shelf towards the top of the W-facing slope of a prominent hill. This is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 31m N-S; 30m E-W) that slopes down to the SW. It is defined by an earthen bank separated by a fosse (at E: Wth of top c. 3m; int. D c. 1.2m; ext. D c. 1.5m) from an outer bank (at E: Wth c. 2m; ext. H c. 1m), which was incorporated into a field bank SW-NW but was removed by 2000 (OSAP). There are breaks in the inner bank at W and N but the original entrance through the inner (Wth of base 1.6m) and outer (Wth of base 1.4m) banks with a slight causeway (Wth of base 4.8m; H 0.2m) is at S. There is a subrectangular house site (int. dims 6.7m NE-SW; 5.3m NW-SE) defined by an earth bank (Wth of base 2-2.8m; H 0.3m) with a wide gap (Wth 3.8m) at SW inside the inner bank of the rath at NE.
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: 8 January 2019
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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