Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

On a ridge at the W end of a small river valley with hills on either side, in rough grazing. A small river flows westward c. 70m S of the monument, it joins the River Goul c. 2.5km to the NW. The views are extensive to the N, SW and W and good along the valley to the E. The views to the NNW, ESE-S-SSW are limited by hills. Glashare tower house (KK008-026----) is visible 1.5km to the NW and the round tower (KK008-047004-) of Grangefertagh is visible c. 2.5km to W. Described in the OS Letters (1839) as, 'a very handsome moat a little to the north of the well, called by the inhabitants Rathlogan Moat. It has two concentric circles around it, but it is not high' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 156 (51)).
The monument consists of a substantial oval raised area (diam. 34.7m N-S; 29.1m) enclosed by a low bank/scarp (Wth 1.1m; int. H 0.2m; ext. 3.4m), a fosse (Wth 3.2m; D 0.95m), bank (Wth at top 1.15m; overall Wth 7m; ext. H 1.55m), berm (Wth in W 2.4m; Wth elsewhere 10.8-11.5m), bank (Wth at top 1.3m; overall Wth 7.8m; int. H 1m; ext. H 3.5m), fosse (Wth 3.4m; D 1.6m) and bank (Wth at top 1.3m; overall Wth 8m; ext. H 1.15m). There is an addition outer fosse (Wth 1.9m; D 0.56m) and bank (Wth at top 1.1m; overall Wth 3.15m; ext. H 0.8m) in the E quadrant on either side of a well-defined causewayed entrance. This bank continues to the NE and SE before petering out, though it is still possibly discernible as a low, ill-defined and interrupted bank in the NW sector. The raised interior and banks have a high stone content. Large boulders are incorporated in the outermost bank on the E side, forming an impressive entrance.
There are the footings of a substantial rectangular building, probably a house (KK008-060002-) along the W edge of the interior. The interior rises gradually towards the centre where there is a small hollow, possibly where the interior has been dug into. A possible wall runs W from this hollow towards the house. There are the wall-footings of another possible building within the interior, S of and overlooking the entrance, in the SE sector (dims. 6m N-S; 4.4m E-W; wall T 0.8m).
The causeway (Wth 5m; H 0.36m above outer fosse; 0.55-75m above middle fosse; 0.6m above inner fosse) has a substantial stone revetment composed of boulders. In the berm area, S of the inner and middle causeway, there is a rectangular hollow (dims. 6.3m N-S; 2.1m E-W) defined on the E side by a bank (Wth at top 0.9m; overall Wth 3.8m; int. H 0.9m; ext. H 0.7m). Within the berm on the N side of the entrance there is another possible building (dims. c. 3m N-S; c. 6m E-W).
This monument appears to be a high status raised rath with at least three external banks and fosses. In the NW-N-NE the gap between the inner and middle bank is wider and forms a berm-like area. It is possible that the ringfort was modified by the Anglo-Normans to become a ringwork. Also it is likely that the house dates to a later phase of occupation, perhaps in the late medieval period.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 1 October 2018

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Kilkenny collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Bray.