Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Ardsoreen

In pasture, in a flat valley, overlooked to SSW by a ridge. A roughly circular area (49.8m ESE-WNW; c. 47.5m NNE-SSW) enclosed by the remains of two earthen banks with an intervening and external fosse. The inner bank (Wth 5.4m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H 1.8m) is evident SSE-NNW, with remnants E-ESE, is levelled NNW-NE and is truncated by a N-S field boundary ENE-E. The intervening fosse (Wth 3.5m) and substantial outer bank (Wth 4.4m; int. H 1.7m; ext. H 1.2m) are evident SSE-SW. The intervening fosse is flat-bottomed, waterlogged and marked by rushes. The external fosse (Wth 3m; D 0.4m) is evident SSE-SW as a broad shallow depression marked by rushes. A slight rise (Wth c. 1.5m), highlighted by a differential growth pattern, on the outer edge of the external fosse at SSE may be remnants of a counterscarp bank. The interior slopes gently down to NNE. At SSE there is a poorly defined gap (Wth 2.4m) in the inner bank, a causeway (Wth 4m) across the intervening fosse and a corresponding gap in the outer bank, though the latter is now marked only by the E terminal of the outer bank. There is a stream/drain immediately to N of the rath. Another rath (SL047-059----) is c. 200m to SW. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008