What is recorded here

Fairy fort in Ballynahown is a broken stone ring on a rocky ridge, wide enough to hold a small life and old enough to have lost most of its shape. A man-made passage lies hidden in its southeast quadrant, while another cashel waits fifty metres to the north-northwest. The cliff above and sea beyond suggest a place chosen for watchfulness, refuge or ritual, though no name has survived to confirm which.

On slightly elevated ground in a rocky scrub covered landscape, overlooked by a sheer rocky cliff from N-E with a limited view of the ocean to the W. Within a large field system (CL004-027001-). Hachured on the 1915 OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). Described by Westropp (1905, 348) as a ‘ring-wall’ (dims. 30.48m) ‘quite overthrown’ and ‘probably a bawn’. An overgrown circular cashel (int. dims. 24m E-W; 21m N-S) defined by a bank of earth and stone (Wth c. 2.5m) which is accessible at N, and from S to SSW and from WSW to NW. A cattle track through the vegetation at N has exposed the stone spread (Wth c. 3m; int. H 1.2m) which is also visible at WNW (Wth 7.5m; int. H 1m; ext. H 0.8m). The outer wall-facing is visible at S (Wth 4m; int. H 0.7m; ext. H 1.2m) and reduces in height at W (H 0.2m). A Man-made underground passage (CL004-062002-) is located in the SE quadrant. Another cashel (CL004-060----) lies c. 52m to the NNW. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 10 October 2022

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