Breens Fort — Ballyhowly

In pasture, located on the gentle S–facing slope of a ridge. There are excellent views to S but rising ground restricts views northward. Low circular platform (diam. c. 36m) defined by a scarp (H 0.55m), outside which it is enclosed by a fosse (Wth 2.2m) with an external bank (Wth c. 3.2m at N, c. 5m at S; int. H 1.5m at N, 0.7m at S; ext. H 0.2m at N, 1.6m at S). The rath appears to be built up on its S half to compensate for the natural slope, and the external bank has a markedly broad, external slump on its downslope S side. A large part of the rath interior has been quarried out. A crescent-shaped strip (Wth c. 9m NE−SW) remains intact at NW–E, but elsewhere the interior is reduced to a stone-strewn area of pits and hollows, interspersed with mounds of quarry material. A concentration of large stones and prostrate slabs are scattered in the SW quadrant. The fosse is partly filled with quarry material and field clearance debris, and a section of the external bank is partly levelled or truncated at SW–NW. The rath entrance may have been to SE where there may be a causeway across the fosse, but dumps of displaced material make it difficult to confirm this. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 23 February 2022