Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 22.25m
A univallate rath situated on a very gentle N facing slope at the base of Derrymore Island, a low-lying spit which projects N into Tralee Bay. On the 1st edition of the OS map, the site was depicted as a circular enclosure, but, when surveyed for the 2nd edition, a field fence bisected the site E-W and the S half had been removed. Since then there appears to have been little change. The N half of the enclosure is surrounded by an earthen bank which appears to have been revetted internally and externally with drystone facing. Though now largely collapsed, a few short sections of masonry adhere to the bank but these are nowhere more than 2 courses high. The bank averages 1m in height internally, .8m in height externally and 3.1m in width at base. A 2.2m wide break in the bank at WNW may mark the original entrance. The S half of the bank has been levelled and the debris piled up against the field wall which bisects the site.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 389. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 6 August 2013