Known locally as the ‘Danish Fort’, this square enclosure appears on a 1774 map drawn by B. Scalé, which documented the manors of Lismore, Lisfinny, Mogeely and Curraglass. Whilst the site itself is no longer visible at ground level, its presence on historical documents hints at what was likely once a moated site; a type of medieval fortification common throughout Ireland between the 13th and 15th centuries.

The site’s strategic importance becomes clearer when examining earlier cartographic evidence. The Down Survey maps from 1655 to 1656 mark a castle in this very area, suggesting that this location held defensive significance for centuries. These barony maps, created as part of the massive land survey following the Cromwellian conquest, provide crucial evidence for understanding the medieval landscape of Cork before many of these structures fell into ruin or were deliberately demolished.

Adding to the intrigue of this hidden site is the presence of another possible moated enclosure just 300 metres to the south, catalogued as CO036-063. This proximity suggests that Ballybride Upper may have been part of a more extensive medieval settlement pattern, where multiple fortified sites controlled and protected the surrounding agricultural lands. Though these earthworks have been claimed by centuries of farming and natural erosion, their ghost-like presence in historical records offers a tantalising glimpse into Cork’s medieval past, when such fortifications dotted the landscape as symbols of Anglo-Norman power and agricultural prosperity.