What is recorded here

No fairy ever danced inside Ballynamaunagh Fort. People built the earth bank, cut the scarp, and left a narrow entrance for those who knew where to look. It stood on a low hill in County Kerry, watched fields, and waited out centuries of rain. The fairies arrived later, doing what fairies do everywhere: taking credit for human work.

In pasture, on a NW-facing slope, towards the top of a low hill. A roughly circular area (28m N-S; 26.5m E-W) defined by an earth and stone bank (Wth 4.6m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1.65m) N-SE and by a scarp (H 2.2m) SE-N. Slight traces of an outer fosse (Wth c. 3.3m) are evident E-SE. There is a slightly raised, stony area along the top edge of the scarp at W. Boulders and stones are piled up against the scarp along the E arc. The interior appears to be raised at W to compensate for the hillslope. It slopes gently down towards an entrance (Wth 2m) at E. An earth and stone ridge (L 7m; Wth c. 1.3m; H 0.5m), on a NW-SE axis, is situated in the NE quadrant. There is possible stone-facing on the bank at the N side of the entrance. There is a cattle gap at SE. This is the rath, called 'Ballynamaanagh Fort' and which had a trigonometrical station in it, which was recorded in the 1840s (OSNB, Kilcummin, no. 2, 5). A roughly oval depression (14m N-S; 8m E-W; D c. 0.2m), kinking inwards along the E and W arcs, is c. 14m to the SE of the rath. Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork. Date of upload: 31 January 2011

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.