Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 391. Internal diam. 32.6m. A bivallate rath situated on the low-lying land that lies S of Smerwick Harbour. It consists of a circular space enclosed by 2 earthen banks and an intervening fosse. The outer bank is only present along the W half of the site and for a short distance to S of the entrance at E. The former section appears to have formerly been used as a field fence (OS maps) and this may account for its survival. The fosse is also disturbed at E where a NNW-SSE running field fence skirts the site. The outer bank rises a maximum of .78m above the external ground level, up to 1.86m above the fosse and is c. 2 to 3m wide at base. The fosse is c. 1.6 to 2.5m wide and becomes flooded in winter. The inner bank is a maximum of 2.3m high above the bottom of the fosse and 1.63m above the interior; it is c. 4m wide at base. Some stone is evident in the outer face of this bank along the W sector, but no definite revetment walling is present. The break in the inner bank at N is a modern cattle track. The original entrance faces E and consists of a much eroded causeway across the fosse and a 1.1m wide break through the inner bank. A large boulder set into the inner face of the bank on the N side suggests the possibility that the entrance was formerly stone-lined, at least in part.
The interior of the site is occupied by a number of ambiguous features. A shallow ditch, which skirts the inner edge of the NW half of the bank, is probably a drain and is not marked on the accompanying plan. There is a possible house site in the centre.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 407. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 7 August 2013

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 71/1939).