Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Ballygriffin

In gently undulating pasture, with good to moderate views in all directions. Townland boundaries with Ballyluskey and Branagh lie 120m to NW and 200m to SW, respectively. Monument surveyed by the ASI in 2000 and described as a slightly raised circular-shaped area (diam. 26m) enclosed by a drystone wall (Wth at top 0.8m; overall Wth 5.5m; int. H 0.7m; ext. H 1.6m) and an external fosse (basal Wth 1.2m; overall Wth 4.8m; D 0.25m) with an entrance gap (Wth 4m) at E. The drystone wall is present from NNE-E-S-W and is largely absent from W-N-NNE, where it has been reduced to a lower, sod-covered earth and stone bank. The wall (Wth 1.6m; int. H 1.15m; ext. H 1.75m) is best preserved where the facing survives internally and externally from S-SSW-SW and is visible externally from NNE-ENE. The external fosse is evident from NE-ENE-E and is visible as a dark green cropmark of lush grass from E-S-W-N-NE. The interior is level, dry and clear of overgrowth. A rectangular-shaped cattle shelter (5.5m WNW-ESE; 2m NNE-SSW) with a lean-to roof abuts the interior of the wall at SW. Monument is visible as a roughly circular-shaped, tree-lined earthwork on Digital Globe orthophotos taken 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages taken 28/06/2018. See attached sketch plan and cross-section surveyed and drawn by the ASI and Google Earth orthoimage. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 30 July 2020