What is recorded here
Indicated is a Danish Fort where a deep waterlogged trench once bit into the earth, but human hands filled half the hole during the 1970s. The remaining scar holds back rain instead of invaders, marking the exact moment ancient defensiveness surrendered to ordinary farm utility.
In pasture, on low-lying level ground between two E-W ridges and close to the base of the S ridge. A square enclosure named 'Danish Fort' is indicated on a 1774 map (no. 1) of the manors of Lismore, Lisfinny, Mogeely and Curraglass by B. Scalé (NLI MSS 7216-18). The remains of this moated site consist of a slightly raised square area (46m E-W; 45m N-S) in the SE corner of the field. The interior is defined by a scarp which is topped by a low bank along the S half of the E side and on the S side. There is an external fosse on the E and S sides. The scarp (H 0.7m) on the W, N and along the N half of the E side is low and grass-covered. Elsewhere the scarp (H 1.4m) is topped by a low earthen bank (H 0.4m) which is incorporated into the field boundary system. The fosse (Wth 6m; D 0.8m) along the N half of the E side is defined externally by an earthen bank (int. H 1.4m; ext. H 0.8m). An earthen bank crossing the fosse at an angle joins this bank with the low bank (H 0.2m) topping the scarp along the S half of the E side. The fosse (D 0.4m) along the S half of the E side and along the S side has been recut to act as a drainage ditch. The interior is grass covered and no internal features were noted. According to local information, this moated site formerly consisted of a square area surrounded by a high earthen bank and a deep waterlogged fosse but it was partially levelled in the 1970s by filling the bank into the fosse on the N and W sides.
The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009).
Date of upload: 22 December 2009
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- What survives
- Recorded monument
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