What is recorded here

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Wardenstown is a fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Wardenstown, County Westmeath, Ireland. The site sits on a low rise in undulating pasture, 180 metres west of the River Deel, with a ringfort located approximately 90 metres to the north. A 1980 description recorded the oval-shaped earthwork as 39 metres east-west and 31 metres north-south, enclosed by a poorly preserved bank that appears as a low scarp from southwest through west to north to east to east-southeast and a slightly sharper scarp from southeast through south to south-southwest. The perimeter was quarried away from northeast to east, and the interior showed two depressions at the west and southwest edges with old cultivation ridges running roughly north-south.

Situated on a low rise, 180m W of the River Deel, in undulating pasture with extensive views in all directions. Ringfort (WM021-010----) lies c. 90m to N. Not depicted on the 1837 OS 6-inch map or on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map. Circular-shaped earthwork depicted on an estate map of Wardenstown (NLI, MS 21 F. 47 (034) ). Monument described in 1980 as an oval-shaped area (dims. 39m E-W; 31m N-S) enclosed by a poorly preserved bank visible from E-SSE that is reduced to a low scarp from SW-W-N-E-ESE and a slightly sharper scarp from SE-S-SSW. There is no indication of an entrance. A short distance beyond the perimeter, there is a scarp from NW-N-E-SE which can be seen clearly on Digital Globe aerial photography. It is unclear if this forms part of the wider monument. The perimeter has been quarried away from NE-E and the interior has been dug into at W and SW edge, where there are two depressions. The interior rises towards the centre from the N and to a lesser extent from the SE. There are old cultivation ridges running roughly N-S across the interior and similar ridges can be seen in the field to W. Monument is visible today as an oval-shaped earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 10 July 2019

A fairy fort or earthen ringfort in Wardenstown is a circular earthwork typical of early-medieval Ireland, likely dating to between the 5th and 10th centuries. Local folklore often associates such sites with supernatural beings, and they were traditionally believed to be entrances to the Otherworld or homes of the fairies.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.