Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Carrickcoola

In pasture, on a rocky bluff, c. 40m NW of the Douglas River. A raised circular area (21.5m N-S; 21.6m E-W) defined S-NE by a stony bank (Wth 3m; int. H 0.25m; ext. H 1.5m) with a pronounced external face and a low internal lip and elsewhere by the steep fall of ground (H 4m) which drops to a narrow terrace from which there is a further fall to the base of the bluff. Many rough angular stone protrudes from the sides and top of the bank. The stony top of the bank at W appears more regular and may represent wall footings (Wth c. 1m). The interior is generally level but with an uneven surface. A low N-facing scarp (H 0.5m) marks a drop in the ground level in the N half (3m SSW of the bank). Traces of a similar scarp on a NNE-SSW axis are evident in the E third of the interior. At NE an irregular depression (c. 5m NW-SE) is quarried into the scarp and extends c. 5m to SW into the interior. A small portion (c. 3m NE-SW; 2m NW-SE) of the scarp at SW is also dug away. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008