Linear earthwork

The National Monuments Service's description

The Red Ditch. The possible starting point of this earthwork is situated N of Cahercarbery (More) promontory fort (KE013-001----). It is marked on the 1840-41 and 1916 OS maps as 'Track of Red Ditch'. It is better known as the 'Claí Rua', phonetically called 'Cleeroo'. Many accounts have been written on the Claí Rua, but though there are few precise details, a number of traditional accounts survive.
This linear earthwork would appear to have been first noticed by Smith in 1756. It can be traced running up Triskmore Mountain in a NW-SE direction (section 1 on drawing). It then disappears for some 3700m before re-appearing on the E summit of Maulin Mountain, where it can again be traced. It is also marked on OS 6-inch map 14. It runs through the N sector of the townlands of Dromatoor, Doonamontane, Knockane and Dirtane (section 2 on drawing). From this point it is difficult to trace.
According to Smith (1756), the ditch runs towards the Cashen river, re-appears at the other side, crosses Knockanure Mountain and continues into Co. Limerick. Westropp (1909) attests to its forming the S mear of Glenlea and continuing in a SE direction by an old path in Booleenshare. Beyond this there is a concentration of ringforts. Possibly the earthwork is connected in some way to this concentration and might even have been the cause of the build-up of ringforts at this location. Both Smith and Westropp state that the Claí Rua runs into Co. Limerick and may be connected with the Claí Dubh na Rátha (the black ditch of the rath) near Charleville, Co. Cork.
Today, the Claí Rua survives as a shallow ditch with a low bank to the SW. The bank is 1.7m wide and .4m high. The ditch, which was originally flat bottomed, is .7m wide and .3m below the surrounding land. It is difficult to ascertain the function of these linear earthworks as very little work has been done on them to date. The most well known earthwork of this type is the Black Pig's Dyke, the ancient boundary fortification of the Ulaidh in Ulster. The Claí Rua could have had more than one function and according to O'Conchuir (1987), this linear earthwork may represent the limit of the Uí Bhriain advance against their Irish neighbours, perhaps the Ciarraighe. According to local people, the Claí Rua was a roadway which was used by the peasantry to bring their produce to the markets in Co. Limerick.

The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 1113. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 2 October 2013