Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Carhoonahone

Internal diam. 27.8m N-S, 25m E-W This roughly circular bivallate rath is located in pasture on top of a low hillock, a short distance E of a tributary of the Gaddagh river. The outer bank is best preserved at S and W, where it averages 1.8m in external height. There is no visible trace of a fosse, and the inner bank reaches a maximum height of 4m at SE. Measuring up to 8m wide, its external flank is stepped at N and W. At N it falls 1.3m to the rath's interior, but elsewhere is largely level with it. There is some disturbance to the bank at NE, where a 2.3m wide gap and some stone facing occurs. It is unclear if this is the original entrance. The interior of the site is level, and the erection of an electricity pole in it some years ago resulted in the discovery of a 'wall' beneath the sod. This rath may be the one named Lissdooil (Lios Dúill) in the OSNB (Ó Cíobháin 1978, 59). The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 482. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013