Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

'Located in an area of reclaimed and improved land but abutting rougher land to the south. This site affords excellent views to the south and south-west, along the length of the Sliabh Mis and west towards Tralee Bay. This unusual site is composed of an earthen bank 3.3m wide at base and 0.85m in average height, enclosing a distinctly a distinctly oval area 41m NNE-SSW and 32m E-W. There is an opening in the bank to the east measuring 3.8m in width but it is not certain that this is original, though given that it is the only definitive break in the bank it is probably the site of the original entrance. There is no clear trace of an external ditch, though the land around it has been cleared and reclaimed right up the enclosing bank, except to the south and this may have removed any trace of a possible external ditch. However, it is worthy of note that the OS 6" map representations of the site do not show a ditch. Internally the site is very uneven with numerous low mounds and undulations which may represent internal structures, though no clear pattern could be discerned. This site is very similar in size and general shape to the stone enclosure [KE028-090----] in Kerries West.'

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: 20 June 2012