Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Scrallaghbeg

Internal diam. 20.7m E-W, 23m N-S Lisroe/An Lios Rua: Situated on a gentle slope on the E side of Gleann na nGealt, this univallate rath contains traces of a hut site and souterrain. The earthen bank varies from .3 to lm in height internally and rises 1.6m above the base of the fosse which is 2.5m wide and only a few cms deep below the surrounding field. A field bank runs very close to the site at SE and obscures any trace of the fosse in this sector. A couple of large stones set along the inner edge of the bank at E suggest that there may have been a revetment wall in this sector. The entrance gap at ENE is 5.2m wide and preserves possible traces of stone facing on its S side. There is no evidence for a corresponding causeway across the fosse at this point. Other less well-defined gaps at NNE, SSE and W appear to be secondary. A possible hut, built against the bank at W, is reduced to a low band of collapse enclosing an area 4.1m x 4.3m in diameter. A 2.9m wide gap at E marks the location of the entrance. A blocked-up opening in the inner face of the ringfort bank at N probably marks the entrance to a souterrain. A dry stone-faced, lintelled air-vent leads to this from the outer face of the bank. A short distance NE of the ringfort are the foundations of a rectangular house measuring 12.3m ENE-WSW x 5.2m NNW-SSE internally. This is probably post-medieval in origin. The Co. Kerry Field Club (1946, 670) recorded a large circular stone hut to W of the ringfort but no visible trace of this survives. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 527. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013