Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database KE029-112 (None)
NMR: KE 029 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 481947 Y: 614652 (IRENET95)
Situated on the summit of a low hill on the W edge of Tralee town, a circular multivallate hillfort, the inner line of which is possibly an early medieval ringfort and encloses an internal area of only 0.2ha, though the outer has a total footprint of 1.7ha. Although at only 30m OD, the site affords panoramic views in all directions, with particular emphasis on views of Tralee Bay. The site has been heavily disturbed and partially destroyed by housing developments. The possible Early Medieval ringfort at the centre of the hillfort and a possible prehistoric mound have been completely destroyed. Excavation reveals that the enclosing elements of the hillfort comprise a bank with external ditch (Dunne and Bartlett 2009, 226 _ 227). A possible entrance was excavated by Dunne and Bartlett (2009, 227), however, information regarding its location is unavailable. The site was described in the minutes of the County Kerry Field Club in November 1940 (Connolly 2008). A large mound, up to 5m in height, surrounded by a small enclosure was recorded. This is also depicted in first and second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. There is no surface indication of other internal features and excavation revealed only a single pit dated to the Early Medieval period. A single radiocarbon sample from the basal fill of the outer enclosing elements returned a Mid _ Late Iron Age date. Building development and road construction have heavily disturbed the site. First depicted by first edition OS mapping. Excavated by Dunne and Bartlett (2009, 226 - 227) in 2006.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -1083113 Y: 6849252 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -9.729768982786675 Latitude: 52.27087355185952 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland; None
Current County or Unitary Authority: Kerry
Historic County: Kerry
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Knockanacuig; Farranstephen and Ballyvelly.
Partially extant, preserved within a modern field system. The NE of the inner enclosing element has been destroyed and the outer enclosure has been completely leveled.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Building development and road construction have heavily disturbed the site.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✓ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Situated on the summit of a low hill to the immediate W of Tralee town. Although only at 30m OD, the site affords panoramic views, with particular emphasis on views of Tralee Bay.
| Contour Fort | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✓ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Low-lying hilltop
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 30.0m
The hillfort is positioned at the junction of four modern townlands; Farranstephen, Knockanacuig, Lohercannan and Ballyvelly.
Boundary Type: Parish/Townland
A single date of 90 Cal. BC to Cal. AD 79 was obtained from the basal fill of the outer hillfort ditch. The fill of a pit located within the interior of the hillfort returned a data of Cal. AD 398 - 544 (Dunne and Bartlett 2009, 227).
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✓ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| C14: | None |
First depicted by first edition OS mapping. Excavated by Dunne and Bartlett (2009, 226 - 227) in 2006.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1842): | First edition OS mapping. |
| Excavation (2006): | Dunne and Bartlett (2009, 226 - 227) . This excavation has not been fully published. |
Excavated pit feature dated to the Early Medieval period. Enclosure (possible Early Medieval ringfort) surrounded a mound of probably prehistoric date.
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
A single pit dated to the Early Medieval period.
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Pits | ✓ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked | ✗ |
| None | ✓ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Entrance excavated by Dunne and Bartlett (2009, 226 - 227). Precise location and information regarding the possible entrance has not been published.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Uncertain (None): | Precise location and information regarding the possible entrance has not been published. |
The enclosing elements of the hillfort comprise a bank with external ditch (Dunne and Bartlett 2009, 226 _ 227). The ditch was V-shaped with steeply sloping sides and a rounded base. It is 2.2m deep and approximately 5.2m wide (Dunne and Bartlett 2009, 227). Excavation suggested a substantial re-cut of the ditch occurred. This comprised a U-shaped ditch 1.2m in depth.
| Area 1: | 0.16ha. |
| Area 2: | 1.67ha. |
| Total: | 1.67ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 1.67ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Early aerial photographs of the site clearly show that the inner and outer enclosing elements both formed complete circuits (see Connelly 2008). Perimeter of the Inner ringfort omitted below |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 1 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Bank and external ditch
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Ditches identified through excavation (see Dunne and Bartlett 2009, 226 - 227). Ditch of ringfort omitted |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Connelly, M. 2008. The Prehistoric Settlement of the Lee Valley, Tralee, Co. Kerry: A Landscape Perspective. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University College Cork, Ireland.
Dunne, L. and Bartlett, T. 2009. Excavations at Knockanacuig/Lohercannan, Co. Kerry. In Bennett, I. (ed) Excavations Bulletin 2006. Wordwell, Dublin.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1