Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

On a level crest at the N end of a low rise, with meadowland falling gently away to S and more steeply to W, c. 60m E of the tidal inlet at Ballyvaghan. Hachured as a circular enclosure and named, along with a neighbouring cashel (CL002-050----) and enclosure (CL002-054----) as ‘Ballyvaghan Forts’ on the 1842 ed. of the 6-inch OS map and hachured as a subrectangular enclosure on the 1915 ed. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). A poorly preserved and overgrown rectangular cashel (35m NE–SW; 29m NW–SE, crest to crest) defined by a wide, denuded, flat-topped bank (Wth at base 3.9–5.4m; Wth on top 1–2m; H 0.3–1.1m) of mixed earth and stone with inner facing-stones visible along the NW side. The field surrounding this fort was the subject of a magnetic gradiometer survey in 2007 (Leigh 2007), however, it did not include this fort. Subsequent, archaeological testing within this field, a minimum of 40m distant from the monument, produced no related material (Hull 2008). The other two ‘Ballyvaghan forts’, the cashel (CL002-050----) and enclosure (CL002-054----), are located c. 70m SSW and c. 80m SE, respectively. Westropp (1901, 279–80) also included an exceptionally large cashel (CL002-053----) located c. 180m north in this group.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 9 December 2020

References

Westropp, T.J 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare part II. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 273-91.

Leigh, J. 2007 Geophysical Survey Report. Ballyvaghan, County Clare. Licence No. 07R0238. Unpublished Report, National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Hull, G. 2008 2008:106. Ballyvaghan, Clare, Licence 08E0104 https://excavations.ie/report/2008/Clare/0019120/ [accessed 24/08/2020]