What is recorded here

Reference to a rath here (Comerford 1886, vol. 3, 282). A circular area (diam. c. 50m) defined by a bank (Wth c. 1.9m, int. H c. 1.6m; ext. H c. 1.9m) from SW-NE. No evidence of fosse or original entrance. Nearby ringfort (LA014-010) visible to N. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

A fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Ballythomas is a circular early-medieval defensive or domestic site, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries AD. Local folklore associates such mounds and enclosures with the faé or supernatural beings, reflecting their enduring presence in Irish tradition.

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