Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. c. 26m
A roughly circular, univallate rath, with a souterrain and 2 hut sites, located in rough pastureland, on an ENE facing slope near the head of Glenfais. The interior is enclosed by an earthen bank and fosse, the latter replaced along the NW quadrant by a deep stream gully. The fosse varies from c. 2 to 6 or 7m in width at base, is c. 1.5m deep below the external ground level and up to 2.8m deep below the crest of the bank. Much of the N half of the interior is enclosed only by a steep scarp, there being little or no internal height to the bank, but, around the remainder of the perimeter, the bank reaches a maximum internal height of 1.5m. A 3m wide gap at ENE seems to represent the original entrance.
The NW part of the interior is separated from the remainder by a bank of earth and stone, up to 1.1m high, which curves around from near the edge of the scarp at W to the centre of the rath. Within this area is a circular hut foundation, c. 6m in diameter internally, defined by a stony bank up to .5m high. A souterrain passage extending from inside the hut to the edge of the scarp is now for the most part marked only by a shallow linear depression. However, part of the drystone-built passage is preserved where it passes under the hut wall. This section is roofed by 3 slabs and measures 1.5m long x c. 0.7m wide x c. 0.6m high. A 2nd hut foundation, of indeterminate shape, abuts the inner face of the ringfort bank directly S of the entrance. It measures c. 3.75 x 2 to 3m internally and is enclosed by a low, grass-grown, stony bank.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 481. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 7 August 2013