Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Carhan Upper

Internal diam. 54.25m N-S, 49.75m E-W This and the following three raths are located in close proximity to one another on the lower E slopes of Bentee mountain, overlooking the Carhan and Ferta river valleys. This large subcircular univallate site features an external fosse and, internally, traces of three huts. It also reputedly contains a drystone-built souterrain. The fosse averages 1.1m deep below external ground level and measures 3.5m in basal width. It is quite shallow in the NE sector. The earthen, almost vertical-sided bank has a maximum basal width of 4.2m at E and it falls 1.75m on average to the gently sloping interior. A causeway across the fosse leads to a 2.75m wide entrance gap in the enclosing bank at E; a corresponding gap occurs at W, but this appears to be of recent origin. A series of E-W cultivation ridges occupies the gently sloping interior of the rath and appear to avoid the huts. The first (KE079-051001-) of these huts is roughly circular in plan, measuring 4.25m x 3.9m internally, and occurs in the SW quadrant. Its sod-covered stone walls survive up to .3m high internally and feature an entrance gap at N. Henry records two further circular huts within the enclosure (1957, 74), which may be identified with the two overgrown circular mounds in the in the NW (KE079-051003-) and NE (KE079-051004-) quadrants. These measure 6m and 8m in diameter respectively. Donaldson recorded that the stone foundations of these huts were quarried away in the early 1920s, during the construction of the nearby waterworks (1956). A stone-built souterrain passage (KE079-051002-) was accessible within living memory, through an opening adjacent to the first hut. It was aligned E-W, its side-walls were formed by a basal row of orthostats overlain by drystone masonry, and it was roofed with stone lintels (local information). No surface trace of the souterrain is now apparent. 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. 478. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013