Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

At the top of a rise with wide views, in hilly pastureland with overgrowth from SSE to N, and land immediately to the WSW sloping steeply into a ravine in which the Aille River flows N-S. Hachured and labelled 'Aughnavinna Fort' on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as 'Ringfort' in the RMP (1996). This suboval rath (int. dims. c. 25m NNW-SSE; c. 21.5m ENE-WSW) is defined in part by a round-topped earthen bank (Wth 2.2-3.3m; int. H 0.15-0.35m; ext. H 1-1.2m) and a flat-based external fosse (Wth 1.5m; D 1m). The bank survives only from NNW to SSW; it is traceable over the W arc of its circuit (i.e., at the ravine edge) only as a slight and intermittent ridge, overgrown and slightly damaged by recent topsoil removal. Three cattle gaps cut through the bank, at NNE (Wth 0.5m), NE (Wth 1.4m) and ESE (Wth 0.5m). Similarly the fosse is only traceable from NE to SSW; no fosse remains along the ravine from SSW to NNW, while from NNW to NE there is only a berm (Wth 1-2m) outside the bank, perhaps the result of the fosse having been levelled here. Adjacent to the ESE gap in the bank there is a poorly defined causeway in the fosse. A wire fence runs ESE-WNW through the S part of the fosse and beyond. The rath interior slopes gently to the S.

The following images have been uploaded:
CL008-074----_01.jpg View from SE
CL008-074----_02.jpg Closer view from SE

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 29 November 2022

References

Record of Monuments and Places as established under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, County Clare. Issued by National Monuments and Historic Properties Service 1996. Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.