RUNS THROUGH 9 COUNTIES

The earthworks appear to date from the late Iron Age in Ireland – over 2000 years ago. Early tests gave a date-range from c. 90BCE (Before Common Era) to 420CE (Common Era).

The Black Pig’s Dyke appears in 9 counties: Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan and Roscommon

One of the longest surviving stretches of the Black Pig’s Dyke can be found in Co. Longford, which extends for 10.3Km between Lough Kinale and Lough Gowna.

The earthworks could be quite large. One section in Cavan at Ardkill More had a rampart (the earthen bank) standing up to 2m high and 5.7m wide, and the accompanying ditch was 1.3m deep and 4.3m wide.