Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Rosses Lower

Spanning level summit of narrow E-W ridge in undulating rocky pasture. Natural ground level slopes down steeply immediately to the N and S of the site. Slightly raised circular area (diam. c.22m) enclosed by a narrow bank of earth and stone (Wth 4m; int. H 0.3m). At the external base of the bank is a berm (max. Wth 4m) and an external broad flat-bottomed fosse (Wth 4-5.5m; D 1-1.4m). The internal and external sides of the bank appear to have been revetted with limestone slabs laid on edge. The berm and the fosse are present from SW-NW and NE-SE. The steeply sloping sides of the ridge slope down from the external base of the bank from SE-SW and from NW-NE. A break (Wth c.3m) in the bank at ESE marks the position of the original entrance. There is an annex located immediately to the W of the rath. This consists of a roughly rectangular area (dims. 22m N-S; 14m E-W) enclosed by a narrow bank of earth and stone (Wth 1.4m; int. H 0.4m). At the external base of the bank is a fosse (Wth 1.15; D 0.2m). The bank of the annex extends in an E-W direction from the NW side of the bank of the rath. The W side of the annex is defined by a bank with an external fosse that lies 4m from and parallel to the fosse of the rath. The S side of the annex is defined by a 7m length of bank linking at a right angle to the bank defining the W side and by the steep S-facing natural slope of the ridge. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 21 April 2011