Ringfort, Gortnagrelly, Co. Sligo

Co. Sligo |

Ringforts

Ringfort, Gortnagrelly, Co. Sligo

There is a field in Gortnagrelly, Co. Sligo, where a ringfort once stood, and the most remarkable thing about it now is the completeness of its disappearance.

A ringfort, to give the term some context, is a roughly circular enclosure defined by an earthen bank and ditch, built during the early medieval period and used as a farmstead or place of shelter. Thousands survive across Ireland in various states of decay. This one does not survive at all.

The 1837 edition of the Ordnance Survey six-inch map recorded it clearly enough: a roughly circular feature approximately twenty metres in diameter, sitting on a moderate north-facing slope amid gently undulating pasture. By the time the 1913 edition of the same mapping series was produced, it had vanished from the record entirely. Sometime in those intervening decades, the monument was levelled, the earthworks flattened back into agricultural land. Nothing remains visible at ground level today.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Ringfort, Gortnagrelly, Co. Sligo. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement