Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Commons South,ballyportry North

On a S-facing karst slope in dense hazel scrub. Hachured on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). This small, heavily overgrown, rectangular structure (int. dims. 23.5m N-S; 12.7m E-W; ext. dims. 27.2m N-S; 19.5m E-W) is defined quite differently on each side: Along the E and W, the enclosing element comprises a thin band of loose stone at the top of an inward-facing scarp (Wth 0.7m at E; H 1m at E; H 1.5m at W). On the stone tumble along the W is a rough line (Wth 0.9m; H 0.6m) of boulders while on the E perimeter is a drystone wall (Wth 0.6m; H 0.8m) which acts as the boundary separating the townlands of Ballyportry North and Commons South. The N limits are defined by a stony bank (Wth 3.8-4m; int. H 0.6m; ext. H 0.4m) overlain by a drystone wall (Wth 0.5m). The S limits are defined by a double-faced stone wall (Wth 1m; H 1m). The interior is sunken, especially in relation to external ground level to E and W. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 18 July 2023

A small, rectangular, heavily overgrown stone ringfort in Commons South, Ballyportry North, likely dating to the early medieval period. It is associated with local folklore as a fairy fort, and its presence on early 19th- and 20th-century maps suggests long-standing recognition of the site.