Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 26.3m
A univallate rath and probable house-site situated on the level coastal strip between Tralee Bay and the N slopes of the Slieve Mish mountains. The interior is densely overgrown and it was difficult to gain an overall impression of the site, but it appears to be roughly circular in plan. At present the enclosing element consists of an earthen bank overlain by varying amounts of small stones. Though it is possible that the bank was originally revetted with drystone masonry, much of the stone probably represents field clearance debris. Where best preserved the bank is 1.2m high and 4m wide at base. A confused mass of earth and stones at the SW edge of the site is probably the debris from the removal of a 14m stretch of the bank at W. The bank in this latter area is now only vaguely discernible. The N portion of the bank is now used as a field boundary and a short stretch of walling at the SE edge of the site is also probably related to the field boundary system. The centre of the interior is occupied by the ruins of a probable house-site. A 7.25m long stretch of its E wall survives as a stony bank, .4m high and 1.5m wide, but the remainder of the structure is represented only by an irregular scatter of stones.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 384. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 6 August 2013