An Enigmatic Enclosure near Lough Derg

I recently got to visit this large enclosure near Dromineer in Co. Tipperary. 

It is described on archaeology.ie as follows 

"Situated on relatively high ground overlooking Lough Derg to the NE, in undulating pastureland. A large, roughly circular area (dims. 132m N-S; 163m E-W) enclosing undulating terrain which rises to a gentle summit in the NW quadrant. There is a subrectangular hollow (dims. 7.5m x c. 7.3m) at the top of the summit. The enclosure is defined by a much-denuded internal bank (Wth 3.5m; int. H 0.43m; ext. H 1.2m), an intervening fosse (Wth 4.8m; D 0.43m) and a low outer bank (Wth 4.4m) surviving in the SE quadrant only. Drystone walling built up against the external face of the inner bank in the NW quadrant, much of which has collapsed, appears to be a later feature."

It was named on the 1840s OS map as "Meadow".

At approximately 4 acres in size it is massive, much bigger than any ring-fort. 

The current townland name is Shannonvale but its old name according to logainm.ie is Cill Teillog, possibly the Church of Teillog

Cill Teilleog/Shannonvale | Logainm.ie

Martin Power in "Dear Land, Native Place" pg 35 has this to say about it 

"Shannonvale - Another English applied Townland name. The great ancient meadow-fort of Kilteelagh is located in this Townland. Kilteelagh was the former name meaning (Cill tSíle) = The Church of Sheila, linked I would suggest with Castlesheela and dating perhaps from early medieval period. In 1862 the Kilteelagh name was revived, when Colonel Gason, Richmond, erected Kilteelagh House, in Shannovale." 

Daniel Grace in "Portrait of a Parish" pg 24 says this on it 

"'The Meadow Fort' 

The great earthen fort of Kilteelagh in the townland of Shannonvale merits special mention for two reasons. It is the largest example in the parish and seems to have served a religious rather than a secular purpose. John O'Donovan described it in 1840 as "one of the largest in Ireland" and recorded it was known as the "Meadow Fort" at that time. O'Donovan calculated that the enclosure measured about five acres and was capable of grazing three cows. The fort is irregular in shape and, according to O'Donovan, measured six and half chains (130 metres) from north to sound and eight chains (157 metres) from east to west. It had already been mentioned in 1837 that brass battle-axes, coins and large human bones had been found in the surrounding ditch. (Note 19)

Although there is no tradition that Kilteelagh was a burial site, there are indications that the fort served a religious rather than a secular function. The word 'cill' in the placename implies a church, even though the second part of the name, 'teelagh;, is obscure. It is possible that the word is a corruption of 'tuile' / 'a flood'; a logical explanation at least because the site is almost lapped by the waters of Lough Derg. Or perhaps it is the word 'tamhlacht' which has been variously explained as 'a plaque-burial site' or 'an ecclesiastical site'. The bank encircling a religious enclosure is usually less well-constructed than that a conventional ring-fort. This is certainly the case at Kilteelagh. Finally, archaeologists. who have visited the site are of the opinion that it was a small monastic enclosure dating to the Early Christian Period" (Note 20). 

Note 19 - Samuel Lewis pg 505 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland "Here is a Danish fort, occupying more than two acres, in the ditch surrounding which brass battle-axes, coins, large human bones, &c, have been discovered"

Note 20 - Information from Conleth Manning, Senior Archaeologist, Office of Public Works

The man who kindly gained permission for me to access the site, said that locally it was thought to be connected with the Vikings. 

For a drone view of the fort see this picture here. It gives an idea of just how close it is to the lake. It is in the centre background.

https://a0.muscache.com/im/pictures/3ed63cb6-38dd-44ec-9ad2-6fb15f976221.jpg?im_w=1200

Its sheer size and location near the lake makes it unusual and worthy of further study. The bay here at Dromineer would no doubt have always been a natural harbour. 

The fact that no local knowledge or folklore has survived suggesting it was an eccesiatical site must also be unusual and there does not appear to be any evidence of buildings within the enclosure. 

Edit: From ITB Report on Puckane pg 3

"At Kilteelagh on the jackson estate (1/4 ml s. of Dromineer) are the remains of a large rath - 2 acres in extent, having a circumference of 500 yds. About 140 years ago brass battle axes, coins & large human bones were found. This fort was a Danish Settlement." 

Glanaskagheen or "Scota's Glen" outside Tralee in Co. Kerry.

I wrote previously about links between Egypt and Ireland showing that many of the claims are tenuous at best here.

One piece of evidence often used is the folklore surrounding Scotia's Grave outside Tralee in Co. Kerry. There is no doubt that folklore exists purporting that this is the site of an Egyptian princess named Scotia.

I visited the site early this year and in my opinion it doesn't look archaeological. How the whole thing came about I'm not sure really. There are similar sized stones just about 50m along the riverbank and it looks to me as if what is now described as Scotia's Grave has maybe been put together much more recently than when she would have been in Ireland anyway! Many of the stones appear to just lie on the surface rather than go down to any real depth. There is a large earthfast stone nearby with a lot of graffiti carved into it.

Scota's Grave

Scota's Grave

Stone with modern graffiti

Modern stones located along the riverside near the alleged monument

My current thinking on it is that the Christian medieval scholars (such as in the Lebor Gabala Erenn) that were trying to tie the Irish into the biblical narrative may have picked placenames around Ireland that could be used to support it. The story of Scota was already in place (a text found in the 11th-century Historia Brittonum contains an earlier reference to Scota) so perhaps they looked for a placename that sounded like it in Ireland. Rather than Scotia's Glen. the placename Glanaskagheen or Gleann Scoithín. https://www.logainm.ie/en/1414581?s=Gleann+Scoith%c3%adn# actually translates as Glen of Wispy Flax or something similar. "Scoithín: A little wisp of hemp or flax ; a small lock of hair. (Dineen - Foclóir GB - 1904). (Thanks to Jim Hynes of the facebook group Irish Placename Research for that).

Another example is a site that I am very familiar with in Tipperary - Toutinna were the reputed grave or cave of Fintan is located (Fintan survived the Irish version of the biblical flood here). Michael Roche from Tipperary wondered if this hill was picked for this episode as it is the height of the Arra Mountains and this name could parallel Mt. Ararat in the biblical story where Noahs' Ark comes to rest after the flood.

So that is my current thinking on Scota's Glen at the moment. It is a visit that I wouldn't lightly. There is pretty much only one way in and one way out of the glen and some evidence of anti-social behaviour on the trail to it. The trail is very muddy and bar the sign at the road, no marked path.