Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Na Cluainte

This ringfort was destroyed about 15 to 20 years ago. It was shown on the OS maps as a roughly circular univallate enclosure. From the landowner's description it would appear to have been an earthen rath, possibly with some revetment walling along the inner face of the bank. A Man-made underground passage (KE042-042001-) discovered in the 1920's appears to have been located close to this site and may have been associated with it. During the removal of a heap of stones, a circular stone structure, about 10 feet (3m) in diameter, was exposed. An underground passage, about 3 feet (.9m) wide and 3 feet deep, led away from this and in it was found a small holed stone (O'Sullivan 1931, 506). Many years prior to this, a larger Man-made underground passage was discovered 'on the other side of the fence and on the same farm'. It is not clear whether these were separate structures or whether they formed part of a single Man-made underground passage. The area is one of low-lying level ground on the SSE side of Smerwick Harbour. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 656. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013

A local fairy fort (ringfort/rath) in Na Cluainte, likely dating to the early medieval period, was originally an earthen rath, possibly with a surrounding ditch. Though now destroyed, it was traditionally associated with local folklore surrounding fairies and other supernatural beings, common to such sites in Irish tradition.