Lios, Ballynamona, Co. Cork
In the boggy pastures of Ballynamona, County Cork, lies a substantial rectangular earthwork measuring 56 metres north to south and 42 metres east to west.
Lios, Ballynamona, Co. Cork
This ancient enclosure, known as a lios or ringfort, features an impressive defensive system of multiple earthen banks and ditches. The inner bank, which still stands up to 2.5 metres high on its exterior face, forms a steep-sided, flat-topped rampart that’s particularly well-preserved along the northern and eastern sides. Between this and a second outer bank runs a fosse, or defensive ditch, that remains waterlogged in places; at its best-preserved sections along the east side, this ditch spans 6 metres wide and reaches depths of 1.2 metres.
The site’s complexity becomes apparent in its outer defences, where a second earthen bank creates an additional layer of protection. This outer rampart, reaching heights of 2.4 metres at the northeast corner, incorporates both a parapet and an inner berm, or level space, that stretches 6 metres wide. The defensive architecture continues with a second, shallower fosse running outside this bank. Intriguingly, the southern sections of both banks extend roughly 26 metres to connect with an existing field boundary, creating what appears to be an annexe to the main enclosure. A leat, or artificial watercourse, breaks through the eastern banks and runs approximately 37 metres to connect with another, smaller rectangular enclosure nearby.
Within the boggy interior, evidence of past occupation remains visible despite the encroachment of vegetation and a modern pheasant pen in the southwest corner. A slightly raised subrectangular platform, measuring 12 by 10 metres, suggests the location of former structures. In the northeast quadrant, the footprint of a rectangular building survives as a low earthen outline measuring 14 metres by 6.4 metres, with apparent doorways in its eastern and western walls. These remains offer a glimpse into the lives of those who once inhabited this fortified farmstead, likely dating from the early medieval period when such ringforts dotted the Irish landscape.