Mortyclogh Fort

On a gentle to moderately steep SW-facing slope under pasture. Overlooked by a graveyard c. 100m to the NE (CL003-011----) beyond which a second ringfort stands (CL003-013----). Hachured and named ‘Mortyclogh fort’ on the 1842 and 1915 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps and named ‘Lios Mothair Tí Cloch’ on Robinson’s 1977 map. The word mothair is a local toponym used to denote a square or rectangular fort. A well preserved sub-circular ringfort (int. dims. 53.4m E–W from inner facing-stone at W to crest of bank at E; 50.7m N–S face to face) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 5.2–9m from inner base to fosse base; H 1–2m) and external fosse (D 0.8–1m from base to external crest). The top of the bank is generally narrow (Wth 0.3–1.7m) and rounded. It has inner facing-stones visible from E–S and sporadically elsewhere, except from W–N, where the bank has slipped. A stone-faced entrance gap (Wth 3.7m) occurs just E of S but there is no visible sign of a corresponding causeway across the fosse, the remains of which were likely erased by tractors using the fosse as a passage around the site, from ESE–SW. Modern up-and-over cattle gaps partially cut the bank at W, NW and NNE (Wth 0.6–1m). The interior slopes down from NNE to SSW (falling 1.2m) and contains an inaccessible Man-made underground passage (CL003-009002-) c. 18m NE of centre. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 15 December 2020

Mortyclogh Fort is a ringfort, likely dating to the early medieval period, situated on a south-west facing slope and associated with local folklore surrounding fairy activity and ancient habitation. The name "Mortyclogh" may derive from a combination of Gaelic elements suggesting a "fort of the church" or "fairy fort," reflecting both historical and mythological significance.