Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Rathnew

A conjoined enclosure excavated by Macalister and Praeger (1928), the results of which have been recently re-interpreted by Schot (2006). The conjoined enclosure is one of a cluster of monuments situated on the Hill of Uisneach. Nearby monuments include a mound barrow (WM024-173----) 200m to the N, an earthwork (WM024-068----) 390m to the SE, an embanked roadway annotated 'ancient road' (WM024-067----) runs onto the S side of the monument, a ringfort (WM024-063----) and holy well (WM024-60----) lie 390m to the SSW, an earthwork (WM024-065----) lies 290m to the W, a second earthwork (WM024-062---) 270m to the WNW, and a ritual pond known as Logh Lugh (WM024-064002-) 170m to the NW. The monument was described in 1963 as a 'large pair of conjoined ringforts, with hut-foundations (WM024-066002-) visible in the either part' (SMR file 1963). This ringfort was excavated in 1925-8 by R. A. S. Macalister, who believed that the larger ringfort was the mythological 'palace of Tuathal Techtmar'. On the 1837 edition of the OS 6-inch map the monument is depicted as a large circular ringfort with D-shaped annexe on the E side of the ringfort. On this map a 'Cave' or Man-made underground passage is annotated and depicted in the centre of the ringfort, the E quadrant of the ringfort interior has been divided into two small areas defined by earthen banks which run off the N & E side of a rectangular shaped platform located in the S quadrant of the ringfort. This rectangular platform appears to be the foundations of a hut site. A second possible hut site is depicted in the centre of the W annexe on the 1837 edition of the OS 6-inch map. These earthworks are clearly visible on aerial photographs taken 09/07/1964 (CUCAP AJQ092/093/094), 12/07/1966 (CUCAP AOY072/073/074) and 11/07/1969 (CUCAP AYR014/015/016). Schot (2006, 1) recently reinterpreted the results of the excavation by Macalister and Praeger and summarised her findings as following; 'Three main structural phases are postulated, the principal components of which comprise a late prehistoric ceremonial enclosure, an early medieval conjoined ringfort and a field system of possible medieval date. The changing role of the site from sanctuary to domestic settlement during the early medieval period and the possibility that the conjoined ringfort was a high-status, perhaps even 'royal', residence of the Clann Cholmáin 'kings of Uisneach'. See attached plan of site taken from Schot 2006 after Macalister and Praeger 1928 Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 09 May 2019

A fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Rathnew is a likely early-medieval defensive or domestic site, indicated by its conjoined enclosure structure. It is associated with a cluster of monuments on the Hill of Rathnew and has been linked to both archaeological findings and local folklore concerning fairy realms and ancient habitation.