Enclosure in Ballycarty

The 'small sub-circular enclosure' was described by Connolly (1999, 4-6) as follows; 'As part of the preparations for the construction of the new link road (N22) between Ballycarty Cross and the Killarney road, the Office of Public Works requested trial excavations on a portion of the proposed route through the townland of Ballycarty, 4km east of Tralee. The lands in question were situated on the west-facing slope of a limestone (Waulsortian) reef which runs for approximately 200m from the east, westward toward Tralee. The spur is one of the highest points on the floor of the broad, flat valley formed by the Stacks Mountains to the north-north-east and the Slieve Mish to the south-southwest. The River Lee rises in the Stacks Mountains and flows southward to the valley floor before curving sharply to the west on its course to the sea at Blennerville. The river is fed by streams from both mountain ranges. The central location of the spur, close to the broad bend of the river, affords expansive views in al directions, including the most accessible passes through the flanking mountains and two fording-points on the River Lee. The low-lying land around the spur is recorded on early maps as being marshy and this would have given the spur all the appearance of a promontory, the only dry approach being from the east. The spur itself is composed of Carboniferous limestone with a minimal soil cover and contains an extraordinary wealth of fossil evidence. The maximum height of the spur is 32m above sea-level (OD), while the maximum height of the area under investigation is 29.5m. The features on the reef consist of six main elements: (1) the ramparts [KE038-076----], (2) the causeway [KE038-077----], (3) smaller enclosures, (4) the hilltop enclosure or henge [KE038-022----], (5) quarry ditches, and (6) the cairns. The area of excavation will be described separately as the seventh element of the site. (3) The smaller enclosures Immediately to the south of the causeway [KE038-077----] is the most easterly feature on the spur. This small, subcircular enclosure shows up very clearly on aerial photography but is much harder to define at ground level. The enclosing bank is most clearly defined to the south, where it is 3.7m wide and has an average height of 0.3m. The northern side of the enclosure is formed by the convergence of this horseshoe-shaped bank with the southern side of the causeway-like feature and the natural scarp of the spur. Since the causeway bank is built on a higher terrace of the spur, the northern side of this small enclosure is very steep, with an average height of 0.6m. The feature measures 20m north-south by 21.3m east-west externally and 12.5m north-south by 13.5m east-west internally'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on information supplied by Michael Connolly, County Archaeologist, Kerry Co. Co. Date of upload: 18 May 2022