Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Walterstown

This monument was inspected in 1976 and described as a ringfort situated on a small natural hillock which is surrounded by low-lying marshy land. Old field boundaries running roughly E-W can be seen to the S of the ringfort and a deep drain running N-S is located to the E. Monument consists of a roughly circular area (diam. 31.5m N-S; 34m E-W) enclosed by an earth and stone bank with external fosse and a low outer bank. The banks and fosse are best preserved from S-W. The fosse is barely visible at E where the bank is well preserved. The internal bank is not visible at N. The remains of an original causewayed stone-lined entrance (Wth 2.2m) can be seen at S. Adjoining the W side of the ringfort are the remains of a roughly crescent-shaped area defined by a slight scarp. It is not clear if this crescent-shaped area is the remains of an original feature or the remains of an old field drain, a number of which are visible to the N and W of the monument. The embankment of the ringfort is defaced at N where there is a large depression running along the edge. Further damage to the bank has been caused by livestock poaching. A shallow depression (L. c. 22.5m; Wth. 5.2m; D 1.45m) running along the inner face of the bank from the entrance gap to the E may be the remains of a collapsed souterrain (WM003-005001-)' (SMR file). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 02 July 2013