Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Tankardstown (navan Lower By.)

TSituated on a rise in a north loop of the NW-SE River Blackwater, with the W-E stream turning SE c. 70m to the N, but prior to the Boyne drainage of the early twentieth century a channel of the river was immediately to the NE of the rath. This is a now a circular overgrown area (diam. 31m NNW-SSE; 31m ENE-WSW) that slopes down severely to the NE (H 2.2m). It is defined by an earthen bank (at WSW: Wth of base 5.5m; int. H 0.7m; ext. H 1.7m) SSW-NW and by an overgrown scarp (at ENE: Wth 6m; H 4.4m) NW-E where it has been cut by the drainage. There is an outer fosse and outer bank E-SSE that morph into an E-W field bank and outer drain S-SW, where it meets a N-S field bank and external drain. There is a possible entrance (Wth of base 4.1m) at NNW where there is a gap between the bank and the drainage-cut scarp. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 15 April 2019