Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

According to O'Sullivan and Sheehan (1996, 330, no. 1011), only a curving boundary, denoting the S outline of the rath, survives. Its N limits are no longer distinguishable and the interior is filled with debris and overgrowth (ibid.). The rath is depicted on the 1846 and 1894 OS 6-inch maps as a circular enclosure (diam. c. 30m). It was described by Henry (1957, 70) as a 'small round fort with no distinct remains inside the rampart'. Dunne (2000, 92) described the condition of the rath in 1997 as 'virtually destroyed', with a bank remaining along the S arc and a concrete farmyard covering most of the site. Archaeological monitoring in 1998 revealed a subcircular arc of discoloured soil in the E area of the rath and the upper portion of a rotary quern was recovered (ibid.). Subsequent excavation proved the arc to be the remains of the fosse (Wth 3.7m; D 1.5m) which had been backfilled and utilised as a field drain in more recent times (Dunne 2000, 92). No datable material or other artefacts were recovered from the fosse (ibid.). The interior of the rath was used as a children's burial ground (KE079-040----).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Kerry. Volume I: South-West Kerry' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 30 May 2011