Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Slane Beg

Situated on a rise, in undulating pasture with extensive views toward Frewin Hill to N and to W, limited towards Slane More Hill to E and S. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a D-shaped earthwork, having a straight side to NW. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a circular-shaped earthwork. Described in 1980 as a circular-shaped area (diam. 29m) enclosed by a bank and traces of a fosse. The earth and stone bank has been defaced by quarrying from ESE-SE-SSE and at S. There are a number of disturbance gaps in the bank at the NW, NNE and NE, none of which can be identified as an original entrance. The bank is reduced to a scarp in places, which is best preserved at S and SW. The very faint remains of a fosse are traceable from NNE-E. A drain and a modern field fence run NE-SW along the base of the scarp from SSE-S-SSW. There is an old quarry depression cutting into the scarp from ESE-SE-SSE. There is a naturally formed ridge running NW-SE across the interior and the ground rises irregularly from the perimeter at NNE and SSE toward it. Monument is visible today as a partially tree-lined earthwork abutting a field boundary to SSE, on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019