Discover Alone, back to main map

Indicated

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort

What is recorded here

Indicated is a damaged fairy fort in County Mayo, Ireland, where a field wall now cuts through what was once a circular enclosure. The surviving stone bank still curves along the south edge, facing outward with large boulders and dropping into a broad natural slope. It stands on a rise above wet, lowland pasture, offering a clear view east and southeast across the landscape.
In undulating average pasture, located on a rise, with good views to E and SE over an expanse of lowlying, wettish land. This possible rath is shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map as a circular ringfort-like enclosure (diam. 25-30m), boxed in by field walls; it is depicted on later map editions as a mix of oblong and linear hachured features. It has been greatly damaged, and it is difficult to trace its original form. A field wall, on an E–W axis, now bisects the location. To N of the wall, a barely discernible undulation outlines a semi-circular area (25m E–W; c. 12m N–S), possibly the N third of the enclosure. To S of the wall, a stone bank can be traced in a broad arc ESE–SW, which preserves the S arc of the enclosure. The stone bank is evident now as a sod-covered rise (Wth 2m at top, 2.3-3.7m overall), very low internally, with an almost vertical external scarp (H 0.5-0.7m) faced with large stones and boulders; this stone facing is probably the result of later modification/incorporation into a field wall. The stone bank enclosing a broadly semi-circular space (c. 27m E–W; 20.6m N–S to field wall at N), part of the original rath interior. The S portion of this space is traversed by E–W cultivation ridges, but to N of this, it has been largely quarried out (D 0.7m). Outside the stone bank the ground falls to S in a broad natural slope defined at its base by remnants of walling. There is another possible rath (MA038-118----) 140m to S. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 13 August 2019

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

What survives
Recorded monument

Places near here

Add to this placeAdd a picture Comment or add a tip

Explore 1,118,481 places