Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

On a knoll on a N-facing slope in undulating terrain. Listed in the RMP (1996) as 'Enclosure site'. One of two circular enclosures hachured on the OS 6-inch 1st ed. map. Human remains (KK019-040001-) were reported here in 1957 (Cahill and Sikora 2011, vol. 2, 486) and the destruction of the two enclosures was reported to be imminent. Excavation (Hurley 1999: 98E0219) carried out in 1998 in advance of the construction of an industrial and business park revealed the base of a steep-sided, V-shaped fosse (Wth 1-1.2m; D 0.53-0.65m) enclosing a subcircular area (diam. c. 30m) with an entrance at N. The fill of the fosse contained a considerable quantity of animal bone. A second fosse formed an annexe or enlargement to the enclosure from E to S. Three charcoal spreads in the S quadrant yielded iron slag and a fragment of a decorated bone comb of early medieval date. A hone stone was also found as well as some charred cereal grains. A number of burials (KK019-040001-) were found immediately below the topsoil. As normal habitation would be unusual so close to burials the suggestion was also made that this might possibly have been the site of an early wooden church. The second enclosure (KK019-041----) visible on the 1st ed OS map c. 55m to the E was not evident despite extensive trenching. (Cotter 2000, 123-4)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 12 February 2013

References

Hurley, M.F. 1999 Archaeological Excavations at Loughboy, Co. Kilkenny. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Dept. of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Dublin.

Cotter, E. 2000 Loughboy ringforts. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1998: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 123-4. Bray. Wordwell.

Cahill, M. and Sikora, M. (eds) 2011 Breaking ground, finding graves - reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006, 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd. in association with the National Museum of Ireland.