Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Longstone (kilcornan Par.)

In flat grassland with good views in all directions, castle (TS058-040----) 270m to N and church and graveyard (TS058-060---- and TS058-060001-) 195m to SW. Slight raised circular area (int. diam. 42m N-S; 45m E-W) enclosed by an earth and stone bank (top Wth 1.5m; base Wth 3.3m; int. H 0.2m; ext. H 0.8m) and outer fosse (top Wth 4m; base Wth 2.1m; ext. D 0.3m) with possible entrance gap (Wth 1.2m) at S. Two rectangular house footings are located in the ringfort interior the larger house in the centre of the fort (TS058-041002-) and the smaller house (TS058-041003-) in the N quadrant. Fosse intersected by field bank at N running on an E-W axis. Bank destroyed from a distance of 15m from SW to W. The Civil Survey description of the lands of Kilcornan in 1640 describes an 'old castle irrepairable & some cabbins wast' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 364). It is possible that this reference is referring to the buildings within the ringfort, however this could also be a reference to an unlocated castle within the townland of Kilcornan. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011