Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In level pasture. Depicted as hachured circular enclosure on 1842 OS 6-inch map, skirted by field boundary to W and N; field fence hachured as second bank, SW->NNE, on 1904 and 1938 OS 6-inch maps. Enclosure heavily overgrown and inaccessible due to overgrowth. Earthen bank (int. H 0.45m; ext. H 1.25m) appears to survive all round. Recorded by Bowman (1934, 66) as double-ramparted fort (39yd by 28yd) on Mr Lane's land and called 'Lios na gCaorach (Fort of the Sheep)'; half circuit of outer bank levelled, remaining portion c. 5ft H; fosse Wth 17ft; inner rampart 4ft to 7ft H. 'Practically demolished' lime kiln built into external face of inner bank to NW (ibid.). O'Kelly and Shee (1974, 71-72) refer to fort as a 'double banked ring-fort...much overgrown with high scrub vegetation', and quotes landowner as saying that while digging within fort c. 1916-21, in an effort to find a souterrain in which to store arms, the 'bases of two kilns or furnaces were found'.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009