Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 28m.
This circular rath lies on a gentle, S facing slope overlooking Ventry Harbour. The earthen enclosing bank is a maximum of 2.2m high and is partly faced with drystone walling, now largely concealed by vegetation. The fosse is present only around the SE half of the site. It is 4.75m wide and c. 2.2m deep below the outer wall or stone-faced bank. This latter formerly encircled the enclosure (2nd edition of OS map) but survives now only around the SE half of the site; it may be a later feature related to the modern field boundary system. Access to the interior is provided by gaps in the bank at W and SE. The former has recently been enlarged and is now 3.5m wide. The latter is 3m wide, and a slight causeway leads across the fosse at this point to a modern gap in the outer wall.
Though the remains of stone structures are visible in the interior, their ruined and overgrown condition precludes definite interpretation. One in the NE sector appears to be D-shaped or rectangular in outline and c. 3m long, but its wall is no more than .75m high.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 327. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 6 August 2013