What is recorded here

Half a kilometre of forgotten stone lies buried under bramble and shadow in Gorteen. Westropp marked it as a defaced cashel before the woodland swallowed the trail. The wall still stands low and broken, but the green has taken back the room where people once lived.

In gently undulating, dense, natural woodland enclosed by overgrown rough pasture. Indicated by Westropp (1914-16, 67) as a small enclosure which he labelled ‘J’ on his map ‘Gorteen Group of Forts’. He described it as ‘a defaced cathair’. Depicted as an oval enclosure (c. 50m NW-SE; c. 44m NE-SW) on the 25-inch OS map. The enclosing elements consist of a collapsed drystone wall (int. H 0.7m; ext. H 0.45m; Wth at top 1.2m; overall Wth 5.4m) which is noted in places, between the vegetation. The interior is largely impenetrable. A later drystone field wall (long-axis ENE-WSW) appears to have been constructed on top of the enclosing elements SE-SW. The following images have been uploaded: CL035-116----_01.jpg From SE. Oblique cross-sectional view of bank at W. CL035-116----_02.jpg From NW. Interior of monument – impenetrable. Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 29 January 2018

A small early-medieval stone ringfort located in Gorteen, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries. It is associated with local folklore referring to it as a "fairy fort," reflecting the tradition that such sites were believed to be inhabited by supernatural beings.

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