Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Fortification
Courtwood,vicarstown (cosby), County Laois, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Courtwood,vicarstown (cosby)
- County
- Laois
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- NULL
- Latest-edition OS map
- Dunrally
- Coordinates
- 53.06843, -7.05661
- SMR number
- LA014-006003-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Identified by E. Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland as a Longphort, located at a bend on the River Barrow where the Glasha tributary runs into the Barrow. In the Annals of the Four Masters it is referred to under the date AD 860, when it records the 'Destruction of Longphort-Rothlaibh (the Fortress of Rothlaibh) by Dinnediadh, son of Gaithin, Lord of Leix, on the fifth of the Idea of September, and the Killing of Conall Ultach and Luirgnen, with many others along with them'. (Comerford 1886, vol. 3, 376). Afterwards this name of the fortress of Rothlaoibh became Dun-Rathlaigh, which is Dunrally (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 291-2). The central enclosure (LA014-006001-) marked on the map as Dunrally had a larger outer enclosure (int. dims. 360m X 150m) defined by a deep defensive ditch (Wth 6m wide; 2m deep) which ran off the River barrow and enclosed the central enclosure from SE through S through W to N where it runs onto the River Glasha.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 17 December 2007
Nearby in the register
- Settlement deserted - medievalunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Castle - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.