Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 31m
Lisnagrave/Lios na gCraobh: This circular univallate rath, with souterrain, is located on level pastureland, at the highest point of a low, local rise that runs E-W at the foot of Knockafeehane mountain. It is enclosed by an earthen bank and fosse, but the fosse can be traced only in the E quadrant where it is c. 3m wide and .4m deep below the external ground level. The bank survives to a maximum height of 2m externally and 1.2m internally and is c. 3.7m wide at base. Parts of its inner face are strewn with loose stones which may be the remains of drystone revetment walling. A 1m wide entrance gap at NW has either been recently created or modified. A less well-defined gap faces N and measures 1.5m in width. A number of field walls radiate out from the enclosure and one runs along the top of the bank in the NW quadrant.
The souterrain occurs in the SW part of the interior. It consists of a short drystone-built passage which now lacks all but 1 of its roofing slabs. The passage is 3.65m long NNW-SSE, 1.05m wide and .65m high. The walls are slightly corbelled and the N and S walls are slightly curved. The S half of the E wall has collapsed and it is possible that the debris conceals the entrance to a 2nd passage or chamber.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 351. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 6 August 2013