What is recorded here
Indicated is a possible fairy fort in County Mayo, Ireland, where a natural rise became a human boundary and later a tumbled field wall. The oval ground still carries a central spine, a ramp-like entrance, and a stock gap, while blackthorn and hazel choke the interior. It may have been a rath, a farmyard, or a forgotten dwelling, but the scarp and stone heaps suggest people shaped the land before the trees took it back.
In pasture, in undulating terrain, with good but not extensive views.
This possible rath is shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map as a circular embanked enclosure (diam. c. 35m); on later map editions it is shown as an irregular-shaped wooded field (c. 50m N−S; c. 40m E−W).
Roughly oval raised area (48.6m N−S; 30m E−W) defined by a scarp (H 1.65m at E, 1.6m at W). It appears to utilise a natural rise. The scarp is incorporated into later field walls for its entire circuit. The field walls are now in poor conditions and partly tumbled, but a section at SE−W still serves as a property boundary. A dilapidated ramp-like slope in the scarp at ENE may be remnants of an original entrance. There is an eroded gap at W which is used by farm stock.
A central spine of raised ground extends N−S through the interior, giving it a somewhat domed E−W profile. It has a gently slope on the W side but a broadly-slumped stony scarp (H 1m) defines the E side, levelling out towards the perimeter of the interior. A large pit, strewn with loose stones, is quarried out of the N quadrant, and several heaps of stones are randomly dotted about the rest of the interior.
Engulfed in blackthorn scrub, hazel and ash trees, making examination difficult.
Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 3 December 2021
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
Places near here
Ballinamore Church (Killedan)church/chapel · 913 yd
IndicatedFairy fort / earthen ringfort · 1053 yd
CashlankeeghCastle, unclassified · 1736 yd
Carrowbeg WoodWood · 1.1 mi
I'll Send You The FareMemorial · 1.3 mi
Kiltimagh MuseumMuseum · 1.4 mi
CastleCastle, ringwork · 4.4 mi
Thorn CaveCave · 4.6 mi
East Mayo Brigade MonumentMemorial · 6.9 mi