What is recorded here

Fairy fort in Shankill, County Monaghan: a circular grass-covered enclosure about 29.8m across, set off the crest of a drumlin ridge, with a stone-faced scarp and earthen bank marking part of its edge. People have taken stones from it, leaving old quarries inside, yet it still reads as a made place: rounded, enclosed, slightly proud of the land. In Monaghan such rings are often called fairy forts, which is a story rather than a proof, but it fits the shape: a room built by human hands that time has returned to grass and mystery.

Situated off the NW crest of a NW-SE drumlin ridge. This is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 29.8m NW-SE; 28m NE-SW) that slopes down in every direction (H 1.6-1.8m) except to the SE defined by a stone-faced scarp (H 0.8m at NW to 1.7-2m generally) with some bushes and trees S-W-E and an earthen bank (Wth 3.6m; int. H 1m; ext. H 1.3m) with an outer stone facing and slight traces of an outer fosse (Wth 2.8m; ext. D 0.2m) across the drumlin ridge E-S. The original entrance is not identified, but the perimeter at NW has been quarried and there are old grass-covered quarries in the interior. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 31 January 2018

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