Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Corr Áille

Internal diam. 23.4m N-S, 19.7m E-W This bivallate rath, enclosing 2 stone huts, is situated on the N facing slopes of Reenconnell overlooking the marshy, low-lying plain drained by the Feohanagh river and its tributaries. The outer bank is up to 1.4m high and fragmentary traces of drystone facing occur along its outer edge at NW. This bank merges with a field boundary which skirts the site at S but elsewhere it is continuous, except for the disturbed entrance gap at NE. The fosse is very disturbed but averages 1.65m in width at base. The inner bank rises c. 4m above the base of the fosse. It is revetted internally with drystone walling which is well-preserved to an average height of 1.6m. There is also some intermittent stone facing along the outer face. The entrance gap at NE is defined to E by a single upright slab, .66m high, and to W by drystone walling; it is c. 1m wide. The fosse in this area is very poorly defined but there is probably a causeway leading across it to the break in the outer bank. An internal dividing wall, represented by a low band of stone collapse, 1.8m wide, isolates a small area to N and W of the entrance. In the SE part of the interior are the ruined remains of a stone hut measuring c. 4.3m N-S and 3.2m E-W internally. The wall survives to a maximum height of .77m internally and is c. 1.5m wide. There is no clear evidence for an entrance but it must have been located in the ruined N or W sectors. There may have been an adjoining yard (or 2nd hut). This is suggested by a stretch of collapsed walling which extends 7.8m to W from near the S wall, and then N for a short distance before merging with a spread of stones which is probably the remains of a 2nd hut-site. Only a few stones of the external wall face of this latter are visible and the remainder of the outline is not discernible. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 378. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 6 August 2013