Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Croagh North, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Croagh North
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Doontorpa
- Latest-edition OS map
- Doontorpa (1916)
- Coordinates
- 53.08970, -9.17582
- SMR number
- CL005-030----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On slightly elevated land in reclaimed pasture at the lower E end of Rathborney valley and just 11m E of Rathborney R.C. chapel (CL005-030002-). Hachured and named ‘Doontorpa’ on the 1840 and 1916 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. The 25-inch ed. of the OS map indicates an external bank from S-NW, not depicted on the 6-inch eds. From the ‘Book of Ballymote’, Westropp (1901, 278) read that ‘Doontorpa possibly derives its name from a certain Torptha or Torpa, chief of the Corcomroes in about A.D. 750, or his contemporary, a prince of Thomond’. Torpa was reputably ‘son of Cermad, grandson of Dima, who, in A.D. 636, claimed the kingship of Munster from Failbe Flan’ (ibid.).
A well preserved but heavily overgrown roughly circular rath (diam. c. 38.5m) defined by a bank (Wth 4.6-7m; int. H 0.7-1.6m; ext. H 1.7-2.3m) and from ESE to WNW - an external fosse (Wth 1.5-1.8m; D 1.1-1.5m). There is an entrance (Wth 1.8m) through the bank to the ESE. Inspection in 1999 did not find any remnant of the outer bank depicted on the 25-inch OS map. A low fieldwall runs around the site from W to E and badgers have burrowed into the bank in several places.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin
Date of upload: 26 January 2022
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.
Gosling, P. 1991 The Burren in Early Historic times. In J. W. O’Connell and A. Korff (eds.) The Book of the Burren, 77–94. Tír Eolas: Kinvara.
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Bullaun stoneunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.