Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Clooncah

In pasture on a low rise, with areas of wettish ground to NE and NW and a stream valley c. 100m to SE. The townland boundary coincides with the N−S course of the stream. Not shown on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. Broadly oval area (38m N-S; 35.6m E-W) defined SSW−NNW by gravelly earthen scarp (Wth c. 4m; ext. H 1.45m) with a slightly raised rim (int. H 0.35m); at N−SE the scarp has been levelled but is still discernible as a slight surface undulation; at SE−S it is incorporated into a defunct field bank that respects the curve of the enclosure. A short section (L 7m) of scarp at SW is topped with a partly sod-covered jumble of stones (Wth 1.5m; H 0.2m). A spine of raised ground (23m N-S; 17.4m E-W; H 1.3 at E, 1.6 at W) extends on a NNW-SSE axis through the centre of the interior. It has a narrow flatten top from which there is a marked slope to NW and W and a more gradual slope to E and SE. Traversing the centre of the raised spine, is a roughly N−S gapped single line of boulders, remnants of a defunct field boundary that originally continued beyond the enclosure. Towards the N end of the spine, immediately to E of the line of boulders, is a semi-circular or roughly L-shaped setting (c. 2m across) of partially sod-covered stones, open to NNE. The central raised spine encompasses most of the interior of the enclosure, leaving a relatively narrow berm-like strip of fairly level interior space between it and the enclosing scarp. Within this level strip at SE is a small circular feature (diam. 2m) defined by a low sod-covered stony rim (Wth 0.2-0.4m) of small stones. According to local information, this enclosure may have been used as a children’s burial ground (MA081-046002-). Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 8 December 2021