What is recorded here

Clear water and a wide horizon mark the Ballyhennessy ringfort, where a broad outer bank and inner ditch still trace a circular home in wet Kerry land. It is not a magical castle in the childish sense, though local names often turn ancient human ingenuity into fairy wonder. The measure is human: about twenty-eight metres across, built to be seen, defended, and remembered.

Internal diameter 25.6m N-S, 28.6m E-W This bivallate rath is situated two fields NE of KE016-019----. It is in low-lying wet land, but the view is excellent in all directions. Though much levelled and fairly waterlogged, this site is still quite visible. It consists of a circular raised area c .3m high, though to the N a slight trace of an enclosing bank is visible. To the S to SE, the raised area has been completely levelled. The enclosing fosse is c 1m wide. The outer earthen bank is 4m wide and .2m high. The interior would appear to be slightly lower than the surrounding land. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 607. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 2 August 2013

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