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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Heirhill, County Kerry, Ireland

The record

Townland
Heirhill
County
Kerry
Country
Ireland
Coordinates
52.42253, -9.80982
SMR number
KE014-007001-

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diameter 29m N-S, 28m E-W
Lisnaleagh/Lios na Leacht (ringfort of the mounds of stones). Contrary to KE014-006----, which lies to the NW, this map designation appears on the 1916 OS map, but not on the 1842 edition. This univallate rath is bounded on the E side by a fieldbank, which cuts the exterior slightly. This site consists of a circular area enclosed by a 5m wide bank and external fosse. The bank rises to 1.8m above the fosse and on average 1m above the interior. The well-defined and round-bottomed fosse varies from .8m-1.5m wide and is c 1m deep. The interior is at a higher level than the surrounding land and there is a 2m wide opening in the bank to the E. In the NE sector of the interior is an oblong mound, 2m x 3.5m internally, and in the SW sector is another oblong mound, 6m x 2m internally, both constructed of stone. There are also quite a few large stones in the interior. According to Westropp (1909) there was a house-ring to the N, and other hut-rings to the W, S, and E, adjoining the bank, and what we see today are the possible remains of these features. He also mentions an outer ring of stone, but no trace of this survives.

The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 487. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 2 August 2013

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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