Hillfort

The National Monuments Service's description

Occupying the SW end of a NE-SW ridge (L c. 1.2km) that has three summits, the ground falls away steeply on all sides except N-NE where the slope is much less before the ground rises again to the central summit. This almost perfectly circular hilltop enclosure is represented as field banks with no annotation on the 1836 and 1908 editions of the OS 6-inch map, although the hilltop barrow is described as a ‘Moat’. The enclosure is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 164.5m E-W; 163m N-S) defined by an earthen bank that had been adapted as a field bank with a stone-facing and outer drain, especially N-SE. In an untouched form the bank can vary (Wth of base 4-5m; int. H 0.2-.5m; ext. H c. 2-2.5m) and the outer fosse can vary from very slight (Wth c. 3m; ext. D 0.5m) to more substantial and rock-cut (ext. D c. 1.5m). An original entrance is not identified. (Ó Riordáin (1956)

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 12/1987), and is in state ownership: No. 651.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 3 August 2022

References

Ó Ríordáin, S. P. 1956 Miscellanea: Small Hill-Fort and Tumulus on Mountfortesque, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 86, 106-07.