Mountfortescue Hillfort
National Monument consisting of a hillfort with tumuli located in County Meath, Ireland
Mountfortescue Hillfort is a National Monument consisting of a hillfort with tumuli located in County Meath, Ireland.
Location
Mountfortescue Hillfort is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Slane Castle and overlooks the Delvin River, a Boyne tributary. It is 900 m (0.56 mi) southeast of Slieve Breagh.
Description
A hillfort is a circular area surrounding a hilltop tumulus (barrow mound), defined by an earthen bank with an external ditch.
The Ordnance Survey records a circular enclosure (about 180 yards in diameter) with a mound at the Mountfortescue site. The archaeological monument consists of Mountfortescue Ringditch, Tumulus & Hillfort. The barrow cemetery at Slieve Breagh and excavation of a Neolithic settlement suggest the area had been a scene of activity throughout prehistory.
The public source identifies “Mountfortescue Hillfort” as national Monument consisting of a hillfort with tumuli located in County Meath, Ireland. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mountfortescue, Hillfort and National.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Mountfortescue Hillfort”, the useful work is to connect “national Monument consisting of a hillfort with tumuli located in County Meath, Ireland” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q22084155. Authority coordinates are 53.761, -6.577. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mountfortescue Hillfort”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mountfortescue Hillfort primary sources, Mountfortescue Hillfort archive and Mountfortescue research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mountfortescue Hillfort”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mountfortescue Hillfort” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.