Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

'The site consists of a circular bank of stone and earth, which encloses an area measuring 18m N-S and 18m E-W. The northern side of this enclosing bank has been incorporated into a field bank which traverses the development site from east to west. The site is built on a south facing slope and has been scarped back into the natural contours of the land, this in effect means that there is a height difference of 2m between the northern and southern sides of the monument. The enclosing bank is intact all round the site but is very overgrown. On the southern side of the site the bank has an external height of 1.25m, an internal height of 0.25m and a width of 6m. However the bank on the northern side is much more substantial with an external height of 1m, an internal height of 1.65m and a width of 8.5m. All round the site it is noticeable that the exterior of the bank is very sheer, while the interior has a very gentle slope. This gives the interior a very shallow “saucer” like profile. There are no internal features and no definitive entrance. There is also no trace of a ditch, internally or externally. Overall dimensions are 32m N-S and 30.9m E-W.'

Description from ‘The Prehistoric Settlement of the Lee Valley, Tralee, Co. Kerry; A Landscape Perspective’ by Michael Connolly. PhD Thesis UCC 2008

Date of upload: 09 July 2012