Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Vilanstown

Situated on a rise, in undulating pasture, with good views to NW, N and E. Depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as a roughly circular-shaped earthwork defined by an inner scarp and an outer scarp which has been defaced by an orchard from E-S. Depicted on the revised 1913 OS 25-inch map as a subcircular-shaped earthwork enclosed by an inner scarp, an intervening fosse and an outer bank. Monument described in 1971 as almost completely levelled consisting of a roughly circular-shaped area enclosed by a low poorly preserved bank. The monument is primarily levelled from S-W-N-ENE and is defined by the remains of a low, levelled scarp from ENE-E-ESE. A small portion of bank (overall Wth 4.5m; Wth at top 0.3m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.2m) is present from ESE-SSE-S. The original entrance is not recognisable. The interior is slightly uneven and has a general N-facing slope. A circular depression with slight mounds of upcast around it is located in the NNW quadrant. The monument is clearly visible today as a roughly circular-shaped cropmark on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 02 October 2019

A fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Vilanstown is a likely early-medieval circular earthwork featuring inner and outer scarps, now partially eroded. It is associated with local folklore surrounding fairy activity, common in such sites across Ireland.