Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Márthain

Internal diam. 36.5m N-S, 39.4m E-W A substantial univallate rath containing traces of possible hut-sites and a possible souterrain. It abuts the W side of a roadway on the E slopes of Croaghmarhin. The earthen enclosing bank is 4.3m wide at base and a maximum of 3.8m high. There are intermittent traces of drystone revetment walling along the inner face at WSW and E. A short stretch of drystone walling on the outer face at S may be a late feature associated with the adjacent roadway. The external fosse is up to 2.3m deep and c. 3.5 to 3.9m wide at base. To S and SE it has been obliterated by the construction of the road and, in the same area, the bank has also been disturbed and has been almost completely levelled for a short stretch at SE. The entrance must have been located at this latter point as the bank is otherwise continuous. The bank has also been disturbed on either side of the field fence which radiates from the site at SW. Hut-sites (KE042-131001- and KE042-131003-) and souterrain (KE042-131002-): A roughly circular hollow, enclosed by a low band of earth and stones, occurs in the inner face of the bank at S. It is difficult to be certain that this is a hut-site as the bank is considerably disturbed in this sector. The hollow is c. 3m in diameter and the enclosing bank is up to 1.15m high and c. 2m wide. The entrance may have been in the N sector. A roughly L-shaped mound of earth and stones is located about 4m to NNE of the latter feature. It is c. 4.5m long E-W and c. 1.9m high. It may be the remains of a rectangular hut-site. Much of the N portion of the interior is occupied by irregular ridges and hollows, the mounds being composed chiefly of stone. They do not conform to any recognisable pattern but some linear hollows may indicate a souterrain and some large prostrate slabs in the vicinity may be related to this. The largest mound measures 5.05m E-W and is up to 1.2m high. It may be the remains of the structure described by O'Sullivan (1931, 520) as 'a rectangular stone structure about 4 feet high, roofed with flags, one of which has fallen in'. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 504. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013