Enclosure in Ballylehaun

On a slight S-facing slope, on a broad flat N-S ridge with a stream running along the E side and the county boundary running along the N quadrant, in pasture. Trees and scrub are growing around much of the perimeter and some in the interior. There are fair to good views in most directions, with very good views to the S. Described by Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 334) as, 'an ancient enclosure resembling a rath, within which the foundations of an ancient building may be discerned. This is the "Shanacourte," or Old Court, along by which the "meare" between Upper Ossory and Co. Kilkenny, is described as running, in an Inquisition of 1621'. Though located to Ballygooney townland by Carrigan, the enclosure he describes lies in just over the townland boundary in Ballylehaun townland. A bivallate enclosure (dims. 51m N-S; 51.4m E-W) which appears largely circular at ground level, however, on the 25-inch OS map it is drawn as a roughly square enclosure with rounded corners. It is enclosed by an inner bank (Wth at crest 1.3-2m; overall Wth 5.9-5.1m; int. H 0.44-1m; ext. H 1.55-1.0m), fosse (Wth 4-7.2m; D 0.75m-1.55m) and outer bank (Wth at crest 1.6-2.4m; overall Wth 3.8-5.8m; ext. H 0.75-1.65m). Both banks are quite denuded on the S side. There are a lot of stones and small boulders in the bank composition. There is an entrance (Wth 4-4.5m) in the W quadrant with a low bank (Wth 1.15m; H 0.58m) running from either side of the entrance E-W across the interior. There are the remains of walling in the S quadrant with a right-angled section giving a wall (T c. 0.6m; tumbled Wth 1.6m) running c. 6.4m N-S and c. 6.5m E-W. There may be another building running from the inner face of the S bank in the S quadrant, only indicated by a length of grass-covered walling which is aligned with the wall running N-S 5.3m to the N. The shape of the monument suggests this is not a ringfort and it that it may be an enclosure of later medieval date. Compiled by: Jean Farelly Date of upload: 14 May 2018