Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In gently undulating pasture. Depicted on the 1841 ed. OS 6-inch map as a roughly circular-shaped enclosure (approx. diam. 35m). St James’s Well (LI004-017----) lies 110m to W. The remains of a much degraded ringfort comprising of a raised circular-shaped platform defined by a significant ditch (Shanahan 2008, Section 3.10). There is no evidence of an enclosing bank, however an arcing section of earthen field boundary from NW-N-NE may represent the remains of such (ibid). Two pits were uncovered approx. 40m to W of monument, during test-trenching (Shanahan 2008). A circular-shaped pit (1.2m E-W; 0.74m N-S) and a second similar pit (0.6m E-W; 0.4m N-S) which are located 6.5m apart (ibid., Section 5.5). They had vertical sides, a slightly rounded base and both contained a single fill of dark-grey sandy silt with a moderate amount of charcoal flecks, burnt and vitrified stone (ibid.). These are assumed to be contemporary with the ringfort due to their close proximity. The monument is visible as a roughly circular-shaped earthwork on Digital Globe imagery taken 2011-13 and Google Earth aerial photography.

See attached image of monument taken from Shanahan 2008 and Google Earth images taken 19/11/2019 and 05/02/2009

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 19 June 2020

References

Shanahan, S. 2008 Archaeological Test Excavation Report for Development Site at Tervoe, Clarina, Co. Limerick. Licence No. 080871. Unpublished report submitted by Shanarc Archaeology on behalf of Mahon Conry Architects to the National Monuments Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.