Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Killanully

In pasture, N of Owenboy river, on S-facing slope some 25m SW of a rectangular enclosure (CO086-047----). It is depicted as roughly circular enclosure on 1842 OS 6-inch map. In 1985 the remains consisted of an arc formed by a slight rise (H 0.3m) running from NNE to the E with a shallow external depression (D 0.3m); there was a slight rise to W for c. 2m. Interior surface (diam. 36m E-W) uneven. The monument was excavated (License No. 92E0104) in advance of quarrying. A summary report of the excavations by Mount (1993) describes the results as follows: 'The ringfort and souterrain. This was a flattened oval area 25m north-south by 36m east- west in internal diameter enclosed by a low internal bank and shallow, rather narrow external ditch. A linear hollow, running generally east-west, was noted on the surface before excavation and on examination was found to be a rock-cut, stone-built souterrain. The ditch consisted of a single concave V-shaped cut 1.95m in width and l.05m in depth with a steep inner and mote gentle outer slope. This contained 2 fills and a small amount of animal bone, representing bank material which had eroded back into the ditch. The bank was about 1.55m in width and survived to 0.35m in height above the natural and consisted of a single layer of material with some animal bone. There was no indication of a reverting, although several large stones found in the top of the ditch fill could have formed part of a revetment. The entrance was situated on the eastern side of the site and consisted of an uncut causeway 3.5m in width. The bank had been flattened on the northern side and survived only as a stain on the sub-soil. A soil stain on the southern side up to 2m in width indicated its southern terminal. The souterrain was situated in the south-western part of the site. It consisted of a single curving passage 1l.3m in length and 1.85m in depth below the present ground surface. It was 0.96m in width near the southern end and originally about 1m in height when roofed. It was constructed by digging a curvilinear V-shaped trench and at the southern end it terminated at a blank vertical cut in the boulder clay. The southern part of the structure was of post and panel construction. The northern section was composed of dry-stone walling with a few orthostats placed near the entrance. Only one lintel stone remained in situ, this had been placed on a stack of dry-stone walling, which set it above the level of the remainder of the walling. The souterrain had already been emptied out and backfilled and contained 5 separate fills with occasional inclusions of animal bone, molluscs and charcoal. The furnace was a deep circular pit, with a flue, dug into the boulder clay. The flue extended south-east from the furnace and was about 0.6m in length. The furnace pit contained 5 separate layers of fill containing a large quantity of iron slag and some animal bone.' (Mount 1992; Mount 1993; Power 1994, no. 5369). Updated by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 16 August 2015