Enclosure in Farranyharpy

In pasture, located on a low hillock or terrace on a general N-facing slope, in sharply undulating terrain. There is a stream c. 30m to E. Knocknarae is visible to E. This enclosure consists of a roughly circular area (diam. c. 16-18m) defined by a low, degraded bank (Wth c. 4-5m; int. H 0.1m; ext. H 0.4-0.7m) which is faced internal and externally with a kerb of large stones. The bank is evident SE–NW as a broad stony rise but at N-NE its original line can be traced only as a shallow arc of large upright stones and boulders, which appears to represent the remains of the bank kerb. Dense overgrowth obscures the bank at E-S. At W, a setting of large upright stones defines an entrance way through the enclosing bank. The entrance is flanked at its innermost end by a matching pair of large, upright stone slabs, and is c. 1.20 in width. Towards the exterior of the bank, the entrance appears to widen or splay outwards and is faced by a setting of smaller upright stones. In the SE quadrant, there is a possible house (SL012-095004-), roughly rectangular in plan. The remnant of a later field bank, on a roughly NW–SE axis, lies adjacent to the NE side of the enclosure, and close to the S side of the enclosure, there is an isolated remnant of a E-W field wall, engulfed in overgrowth. It was recorded as a stone fort by Ó Nualláin (1989, 95, Appendix: no. 3). There is a rath (SL012-094----) located c. 65m to SW, and a possible passage tomb (SL012-0127----) located c. 140m downslope to N. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 24 January 2014