Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Cathair Deargáin Theas

Internal diam. 31.5m N-S, 36.5m E-W An impressive univallate rath situated on the gentle NW slopes of Reenconnell, with an excellent outlook over much of the N side of this W end of the Dingle Peninsula. The defences consist of a fosse and earthen bank, the latter faced internally with drystone masonry. The roughly circular interior is strewn with stone collapse amongst which the sites of 6 or 7 stone huts are discernible. The fosse is 6 to 7.6m wide and up to 2m deep below the external ground level. A field fence radiates out from the site at S and the fosse is disturbed immediately E of this; the stone-facing lining its outer edge in this area is probably a later feature. A field wall surmounts the outer edge of the fosse to NE and N, but in the NW quadrant the fosse has completely disappeared. The bank rises up to 4.5m above the bottom of the fosse, and the inner stone-facing, originally probably continuous, remains to a maximum height of 2.8m. Some sections of this latter rise as a single face to the crest of the bank, but, for the most part, the facing is stepped. Up to 3 steps or terraces are preserved, the risers varying in height from .06 to .65m and the treads varying in width from .2 to .4m. A 2.2m wide gap at N appears to be the original entrance. A gap at NW, less than 1m wide, appears to be secondary. The hut-sites in the interior are very poorly preserved, their walls generally reduced to low mounds of stone collapse. (1) Two curved sections of drystone-facing, located on the inner face of the bank on either side of the NW gap, should probably be interpreted as the inner face of a roughly circular hut, now cut-through by the entrance gap. A band of stone collapse, a little to SE, may mark the SE limit of the structure which would, therefore, measure c. 3.9m x 3.5m internally. (2) This hut, c. 4.2m in diameter internally, is built against the ringfort bank at SE. It was probably originally circular but only the SE half of the wall, .5m high, survives. (3) and (4) Two huts, probably conjoined, abut the bank at E, but their condition is such that their precise shape and size could not be determined. (5) A circular hut, 6.4 x 6m in diameter internally, located in the S sector of the rath. Its interior is depressed below the surrounding ground level and the wall is reduced to a mound of stone collapse. A very short stretch of the outer wall-face is visible at NE. (6) and (7) There are vague traces of a possible hut a little to NW of (5). A dense scatter of stone to NE of this may mark the site of another. Windele (1838, 198) mentioned caves in the interior, entered 'from under a kind of gallery covered with stone in the centre'. Westropp (1897, 297) also mentioned souterrains, but none is visible at the site today. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 355. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 6 August 2013