Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in An Bhánóg Theas

Internal diam. 26.5m N-S, 30.5m E-W This site is located on a S facing slope at the head of a small valley, about 250m E of KE044-046----. The roughly circular interior is enclosed by a single earthen bank and an impressive fosse. Although 2 banks are shown on the 1st edition of the OS map, and although Ashe (1954, 17-8) described the site as bivallate, the present outer bank appears to consist of field fences, and is so marked on the 2nd edition of the OS map. It is c.1m high and 1.3m wide, and is partly faced with drystone masonry. The fosse is 4.6m wide and its base lies 3.25m below the top of the outer bank and 3.7 to 5m below the top of the inner bank. The inner bank is intermittently stone-faced and rises a maximum of 1.25m above the interior. It is possible that the uppermost portion of this bank consists of a later field fence. A 1m wide gap through the inner bank at E may be the original entrance, though there is no corresponding causeway across the fosse. The fact that there is no break in the outer bank at this point supports the suggestion that the latter is a later feature. Ill-defined entrances at N and SW are probably secondary. Ashe noted a souterrain in the interior. A low, L-shaped bank in the NE sector may be related to this, and a 2nd raised area between the latter and the ringfort bank may mark a hut-site. However, neither feature can be interpreted with certainty. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 347. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 6 August 2013