What is recorded here
Fairy fort in Shanco, County Meath: a 30m grassy ring with earthen banks, a rounded fosse and faint outer remains on a ridge edge. It stands among fields, not as a showpiece but as a shaped hole in the land, perhaps for dwelling, storage, ritual or boundary marking. Nearby rath and enclosure suggest a busy place, while the fairy name keeps human certainty at a distance.
Located on the S edge of a ridge in an undulating landscape. This is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 30m E-W; c. 28m N-S) that slopes down to the E (H 0.9m). It is defined by an earthen bank (Wth of base 5-6m; int. H 0.2-0.5m; ext. H 0.8-1m) that is incorporated into a field bank NW-NE. This is separated by a complete outer, rounded fosse (Wth of top 5-6m; ext. D 0.3-0.4m) from the remnants of an outer bank (Wth of base 4.5m; ext. H 0.4m) that are visible S-NW. The perimeter is truncated slightly by a N-S relict field bank (Wth of base 4m; int. H 0.2m; ext. H 0.9m) and outer drain (Wth of top 6m; ext. D 0.3m) at E. An original entrance is not identified. Rath (ME023-001----) is c. 60m to the N and enclosure (ME023-003----) is c. 150m to the SW.
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: 27 February 2019
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- What survives
- Recorded monument
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