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Fairy fort / stone ringfort in Na Gleannta Theas,na Gleannta Thuaidh

Fairy fort / stone ringfort

What is recorded here

Na Gleannta Theas and Na Gleannta Thuaidh still hold a broken cashel on the lower slopes of Ballysitteragh mountain, overlooking the Milltown river and Dingle Harbour. Its northern half survives as a low stony bank, while the southern half has been reduced to a boulder-strewn platform, suggesting people once shaped the rock before forgetting or losing the whole circle. The name Caher appears on old local mapping, and the boundary wall now curves through the site like a later hand redrawing an older line.
Internal diam. c. 26 to 28m This site is located on the lower W slopes of Ballysitteragh mountain, overlooking the broad level plain through which the Milltown river flows S towards Dingle Harbour. It is bisected by the townland boundary wall, and the S half of the roughly circular enclosure is virtually destroyed, while the N half is only poorly preserved. The remains of the S half consist of a slightly raised platform covered with large boulders cleared from the adjacent field. The N half is enclosed by an irregular stony bank, a maximum of .7m high and c. 2.3m wide. That the site is a cashel and not a rath is suggested by the stony nature of the enclosing bank and by the fact that it is named 'Caher' on the Fair Plan. A slight circular hollow, c. 4.2m in diameter, marks the site of the clochaun marked on the OS maps. The townland boundary wall curves around the NW half of this feature and probably follows the line of the original wall of the hut. It may also incorporate part of the latter as its lower courses are distinctly different from the upper courses, being neater in construction and comprised of smaller stones. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 572. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013

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What survives
Recorded monument

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