Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
Tara Fort
Tara, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Record only (not listed)
- Grade
- Record Only
- Type
- Fort
- Date of construction
- Pre 1600
- Address
- Tara Fort, off Ballyquintin Road, Tara, Portaferry, Co Down
- Townland
- Tara
- Council
- Ards and North Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.35920, -5.49789
- Date of survey
- 08 August 1997
- HB reference
- HB24/01/071
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1637 "The Fourth table of Ireland. Ultonia Oriental" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
Completely overgrown remains of a circular prehistoric earth works on the summit of Tara Hill, to the NE of Ballyquintin Road, on the SE coast of the Ards peninsula, c.3 miles SE of Portaferry.
The eart work is roughly c.50m in diameter. The 1966 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' contains a plan of the site, which shows a causeway, ditch, stone built revetment etc. At present, however, all of this is covered with a mass of hedges and brambles and totally obscured.
Historical information
A site of great antiquity and a commanding viewpoint, which, like many other sites of this nature may, conceivably, have been in use for many centuries from the Neolithic period right up until early Christian times.
References- Secondary sources
1 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (Belfast HMSO, 1966), p. 173
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
Not listed
Criteria for listing: historic interest
Not listed
Evaluation
Now overgrown circular earth work or rath on a hilltop with a commanding view of the southernmost edge of the Ards peninsula.
Nearby in the register
- Telephone Kiosk, Quintinbay Road, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1RETelephone Kioskunder 1 mi
- 1 Quintin Bay RoadHouseunder 1 mi
- 19 Ballyfounder RoadHouseunder 1 mi
- St Cooey’s WellsWellunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.