Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Knockaunakill

Located in pasture, straddling the top of a rise with good views. Ground falls to NE in a short step and then levels out towards the banks of a stream, which is c. 70m from the rath. On the opposite side of the stream a flat expanse of wet, boggy ground stretches N and E. Circular platform (40.6m N–S; 39m E–W) defined by a scarp (H 1.3m at N; 0.6m at S), outside which it is enclosed by a fosse (Wth 2.8m at N, 2.9m at S) and remnants of an external bank (Wth c. 2m; int. H 0.1m; ext. H 1.5m at NE). The rath is boxed into the SW end of a rectilinear field with the NNE−SSW field walls clipping the W and E−SE sides of the rath. The scarp is best preserved on the E half of the rath but is rather low and degraded on the W half. The fosse is clearly defined N–E but is evident elsewhere as a slight surface depression, partly truncated at SE by a field fence. The external bank survives N–E as a low and degraded rise; it is truncated at E–SE by later field fences, and is evident SW−NW as an ephemeral undulation, incorporating large stones in parts at SW; at NNW–N it is truncated by a straight NE–SW field fence. A causeway (Wth 4m) across the fosse at SSW allows tractor access to the interior and may be a late feature. The N half of the interior is level but there is a slope down from centre to SE–S. A slight surface depression (diam. c. 2m) is evident in the N of the interior, close to the scarp. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 9 February 2022