Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Gortacurraun, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gortacurraun
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- Coordinates
- 52.14477, -10.09706
- SMR number
- KE044-106----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Internal diam. 21.5m E-W, 20m N-S
A circular univallate rath situated at the head of the valley that extends S from Ballynasare to Minard beach. The bank has been levelled along the E sector and has virtually disappeared along the S side. Elsewhere it is a maximum of 1.75m high externally and .75m high internally and is 2.25m wide. The fosse is discernible only along the S sector where it is protected by the field fence which skirts its outer edge here. It is 2m wide and c. 1.25m deep. There is a 3.75m wide entrance gap at SW. A 5m wide break in the bank at WNW may be secondary.
A number of depressions and holes in the interior appear to be the remains of a souterrain, now collapsed. A brass shilling of James II was discovered in a souterrain in a rath in this townland (O'Sullivan 1931, 414). Apart from the possible souterrain at this site, one was also discovered in another ringfort (KE044-100----) in the townland, and it is not known in which of the two the shilling was found.
The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 446. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 7 August 2013
Nearby in the register
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Charcoal-making siteunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.