Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Rathcrihane

Internal diameter 46m N-S, 45m E-W Rathcrihane/Ráth Creacháin, ringfort of Creachán (personal name). This very overgrown univallate rath is situated between two fields, and a fieldbank touches it to the NW and SE. It consists of a circular area enclosed by a bank and exterior fosse. The enclosing earthen bank rises to c 1.2m above the interior and on average 2.2m above the fosse. The exterior fosse encloses the whole site and is well defined; it is 1.4m-3.6m wide and 1m deep. The interior is at a higher level than the surrounding land, and in the SW sector are Man-made underground passage remains which were discovered in 1938 when the landowner (Mr McKenna) was digging a grave for a dead horse and came across a small drystone shaft about .9m below the surface of the ground. This lead into a big Man-made underground passage (KE020-054001-) which, according to O'Connell (1938), was at least eight feet high. This fort is also connected to Sir Roger Casement, who was captured here in April 1916 (seeJKAHS No 20, 1987, 94-110). The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 707. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 2 August 2013 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 60/1938).

Rathcrihane (Ráth Creacháin) is an early-medieval earthen ringfort, likely dating to between the 6th and 10th centuries AD, associated with the personal name Creachán. The site, though overgrown, retains an internal diameter of approximately 46m N-S and 45m E-W, and is traditionally linked to fairy folklore, as its name suggests a connection to the Otherworld in local tradition.