What is recorded here

Knockshanawee holds a rare buried chamber beneath its earthen ring, where ogham stones still wait inside the dark. The visible fort presents a broad causeway and steep bank, but the hidden passage suggests the site served more than ordinary pasture or defense. People may have entered the ground chamber to preserve memory, exclude others, or speak with the dead. The fairy fort label fits because the place withholds more than it reveals.

In pasture, just below crest of hill, on N-facing slope. Circular raised area (diam. 29m) enclosed by earthen bank (int. H 1.3m; ext. H 3.6m) with external fosse (D 1m). Entrance (Wth 4m) to NE with causeway across fosse. Field clearance stones dumped in fosse to S. Interior saucer shaped; Man-made underground passage (CO072-078002-) with ogham stones (CO072-078003-, CO072-078004-, CO072-078005-, CO072-078006-, CO072-078007, -CO072-078008-) in NW quadrant. Field boundaries c. 5m outside fosse surround enclosure to W, N and E. Upright stone (H 1.4m; 0.67m x 0.12m) just outside fosse to N of causeway, embedded in concrete for use as gate pillar. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). 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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