Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 20.3m N-S, 21.4m E-W
Located in pasture on the lower SW slopes of Geokaun, Valencia Island, this circular univallate rath overlooks the Portmagee Channel to S. The enclosing bank is composed of earth with a substantial quantity of stone, though no facing could be discerned through the sod-cover. It ranges in external height from .5m to 3m, and internally from .45m to 1.4m. It has an average basal width of 3.15m and features a 1.8m wide entrance gap at SE. A regular upright slab, marked 'Gallaun' (KE078-010004-) on the OS maps, stands close to the SW side of the entrance. It is 1.54m high and measures .95m x .3m at base; NW-SE. A second slab, c. 1.6m long, lies prostrate 1.5m to E and is almost completely covered by sod. These slabs probably served as portals on the inner side of the entrance. A field boundary overlies a portion of the bank at N.

The remains of a roughly circular hut (KE078-010003-) are located in the S sector of the site's interior. Measuring 3.6m in internal diameter, its 1.1m wide walls survive only .2m high. About 2m to NW a low grassy bank forms a semicircular outline and may indicate the foundations of a second hut (KE078-010005-). O'Connell recorded a small disturbed souterrain (KE078-010002-) at this site (OPW 1937). Its entrance is no longer visible.

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 549. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 29 July 2013

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 64/1938).