Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on a terrace on the NE-facing slope of a prominent ridge. The slope rises steeply to SW, and falls in gradual steps/terraces to N and E into a stream valley. The stream is c. 270m to NE.
An oval enclosure (c. 49m NW−SE; c. 45m NE−SW) is shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map, with its SE arc coinciding with the townland boundary; it is indicated on the 1931 edition as an irregular-shaped oblong enclosure, with an indentation on the W side.
Irregular-shaped oblong area (57m NW−SE; c. 35-37m NE−SW), constricting across the central NE-SW axis (29.5m NE-SW). This gives it a slightly figure-of-eight appearance in plan. It is defined by a bank/scarp which is incorporated into a series of field boundaries at N−SW, coinciding with the townland boundary between Collagh at W and Gortnasilla at E.
The bank/scarp (Wth 1.7-2.3m at SSW, 3m at N; int. H 0.6m at SSW, 0.3m at N; ext. H 0.85m at SSW, 1.7m at N) has remnants of stone facing, now tumbled, on its external slope. There is a slight depression (Wth c. 3m) outside the bank at NW−N, which might indicate a fosse but is not evident elsewhere.
There are several breaks, eroded by cattle, but no clearly defined entrance. The SE end of the interior appears very slightly higher. The perimeter is thickly ringed with hawthorn and hazel scrub; the interior is grassy.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 19 August 2021