Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a prominent rise in undulating grassland, the remains consist of a well-preserved bivallate ringfort (internal diam. c. 48m; overall diam. c. 95m) with an entrance at the NE. The inner bank averages 2m in height above the fort interior and the base of the inner fosse is c. 6m below the top of this bank. The fosse, in places, is a maximum of 9m wide across the top and 2.3m at the base. In comparison the outer bank is subdivided along its circumference by a ‘hollow way’ or shallow, ditch-like depression on its summit. The outer fosse measures c. 4m in upper width and 1.5m at the base: it is just 0.7m below the external ground level. The entrance is 2.6m wide and the causeway across the fosse is 4.4m wide. Excavations in 1948 and 1949 identified a two-phase bivallate ringfort of the Early History period. Approximately one quarter of the site was excavated, comprising the south-western quadrant and the entrance area. In Phase 1 the fort was univallate with an internal diameter of c. 76m. The first phase appears to have been short for soon after the beginning of the occupation of the site there was a dramatic change to the morphology of the fort. A very deep fosse was dug inside the existing defences and the material from this was piled up along its inner edge to form the inner large earthen bank. This reduced the internal diameter to its current extent: this corresponds with Phase 2. No evidence for internal structures were recorded. Well-preserved dumps of animal bone and sea-shells were discovered throughout the excavated areas and a variety of crafts were represented in the artefactual assemblage. Radiocarbon determinations indicated an occupation of the site from the 4th or 5th century AD to at least the 9th century. According to local tradition, there is a souterrain (GA095-009001-) in the interior, immediately to the SW of the entrance though no visible surface trace of it survives. (Comber 2002)

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 29 May 2014

References

Comber, M. 2002 M.V. Duignan's excavations at the ringfort of Rathgurreen, Co. Galway, 1948-9. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 102C, 5-197.