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Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Towas

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Fairy forts are human ringforts misnamed by later folklore. This is one: a circular grass and fern-covered area on the crest of an ENE-WSW ridge in Towas, County Meath, bounded by an overgrown earthen bank, a rounded fosse, and an outer bank that has been absorbed into a field bank and lane. The entrance and causeway face SSE, while a long shallow depression runs from the centre toward NNW, perhaps a buried passage though no stone shows. People may have lived, hidden, or been forgotten there before fairy words took the place from them.
Situated on the crest of an ENE-WSW ridge. This is a circular grass and fern-covered area (diam. 38.m E-W; 35m N-S) defined by an overgrown earthen bank (Wth of base 7.5-9m; int. H 1-1.2m) separated by a rounded fosse (Wth of top 8-8.3m; Wth of base 1.5m; ext. D 1.1m at NW to 1.7m at SE) from an outer earthen bank (Wth of base 5-6m ext. H 0.6-1.1m) which is incorporated in a field bank NE-SSW and the bank of a N-S lane SSW-W. The fosse is rock-cut in places. The entrance (Wth of base 2.4m) and causeway (Wth of top 2.4m; H 1.3m) are at SSE. A depression (L 12m; Wth 4.7m; D 0.5m) extending from the centre to NNW could be a Man-made underground passage, although no stone is evident. 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: 3 September 2018

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What survives
Recorded monument

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