Discover Alone, back to main map

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Ballymore

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Fairy forts are human ringforts misnamed by later belief. This is a real rath in Ballymore: a raised circular area about 39.5m across, enclosed by a low earth-and-stone bank, with a shallow fosse and outer bank still visible on parts of the circuit. The break at the southeast probably marks the entrance. People may have lived, worked or hidden there before the fairy story arrived to cover the ordinary facts.
On a terrace immediately above a stream to its S and SW. A raised circular area (diam. 39.5m) enclosed by a low bank of earth and stone (Wth 5-6m; H 0.3-0.9m), except from S-SW where it is defined by a scarp (H 2.5m). A shallow intervening fosse (Wth 2.5-3m; D 0.4m) is visible from S-W-NW and a low outer bank (Wth 2-3m; H 0.3-0.4m) is evident at S and from SW-W-WNW. A break (Wth 5.6m) in the bank at SE probably marks the original entrance. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 26 August 2011

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

Add to this placeAdd a picture Comment or add a tip

Explore 1,118,481 places