Ballyvaghan Forts

On a very gentle SW-facing slope of meadowland, c. 70m SSE of the tidal inlet at Ballyvaghan. Hachured with trees on the interior and named, along with a neighbouring rath (CL002-052---) and enclosure (CL002-054----), as ‘Ballyvaghan forts’ on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and hachured with trees to the S on the 1915 ed. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). A largely levelled oval rath (int. dims. 31m crest to crest N–S; 28m E–W crest of bank at E to top of scarp at W), visible as a very low, wide bank (H 0.1–0.2m; Wth 4–6m) curving from NNW–SW and by a very faint scarp (falling 0.3m over 4m) from SW–NNW. A modern field boundary runs from SW–NE across the site. The field that includes the NW side of the fort was the subject of a magnetic gradiometer survey in 2007 (Leigh 2007). The arc of the bank was visible in the survey as a negative response suggesting a ‘stone construction, or perhaps a stone filled ditch’ (Leigh 2007, 6 and Fig. 3); this and the lack of any response consistent with a ditch suggest this was a cashel. The other two ‘Ballyvaghan forts’, the rath (CL002-052----) and enclosure (CL002-054----), are located c. 70m NNE and c. 80m E, respectively. Westropp (1901, 279–80) also included an exceptionally large cashel (CL002-053----) located c. 250m NNE in this group. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 9 December 2020

Ballyvaghan Forts are likely early-medieval ringforts situated on a south-west facing slope near the tidal inlet at Ballyvaghan. These forts, along with a neighbouring rath and enclosure, may have been part of a wider territorial or defensive system, though specific folklore or historical associations are not recorded.