Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, at the summit of a low hill. A raised circular area (diam. 34m) defined by concentric terraced scarps, some with traces of banks on top. The inner terraced scarp (H 1m) completely encloses the interior with slight traces of the bank on top of the NE-SE and SW-W arcs. The intervening terraced scarp (H 1.2m) SE-N also has traces of the bank along the SW-W arc. The outer terraced scarp (H 1.1m) is visible SE-SW. The level areas between the scarps vary in width from 2m to 4m. The interior is level. An E-W field boundary tangentially abuts the rath at N. A stony deposit on top of the E arc of the inner scarp may be due to field clearance. The rath is indicated on the 1846 OS 6-inch map as a roughly circular enclosure (diam. c. 50m). It is indicated on the 1894 OS 6-inch map as a roughly oval raised area (c. 35m N-S; c. 30m E-W) with an arc of hachures S-N depicting a terrace along the W half. The rath was recorded in the 1840s as 'Kilbreanbeg Fort' in the NW end of the townland (OSNB, Kilcummin, no. 2, 21). A second rath (KE059-011----) lies c. 250m to the WNW on the opposite side of the river.

Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork.

Date of upload: 31 January 2011