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Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Castlelands (fermoy By.)

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Mallow Castle's demesne still holds a twenty-two-metre earthen ring, its low bank and shallow ditch marking a boundary older than the estate itself. People called it a fairy fort, perhaps because the trees once planted inside vanished, leaving humps and hollows that resemble forgotten chambers rather than ordinary ground. The causeway rises gently toward the centre, inviting footsteps into a space where human intention and fairy tale still tangle.
In pasture, on gentle S-facing slope, in demesne of Mallow Castle. Circular area (22.5m N-S; 22m E-W) enclosed by low earthen bank (int. H 0.1m; ext. H 1.1m); external fosse (D 0.8m). Causeway (Wth 3m) across fosse to SSE rises gently towards interior. Counterscarp bank (H 0.4m) ESE->SW, broken where causeway crosses fosse. Interior planted with trees on 1842 OS 6-inch map; numerous humps and hollows across surface appear to be result of removal of tree roots. Estate wall to N extends along base of fosse; wall to E immediately outside fosse. Enclosure clear of overgrowth. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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What survives
Recorded monument

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