Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

At the E end of a glacial ridge adjacent to a historic flood plain, 900m W of the River Shannon. The ringfort was excavated as part of the Southern Limerick Ring Road, Phase II (Bermingham et. al. 2013). A contemporary stone causeway (LI005-098---- ) was located 60m to the S.
The ringfort ditch was circular (dims. 36m) and enclosed and accentuated a natural mound of loose gravel (Taylor 2004). The interior gravel surface of the ringfort had eroded. The remains of a rectangular post-built structure (approx. dims. 4m x 1.6m) was excavated within the ringfort. It is likely that other domestic buildings would have been present internally when the site was in use. The entrance to the fort was on the NW dryland side (2.5m W, 1m D). Smaller curvilinear ditches on the W side of the mound suggest that the enclosure had been remodelled on at least one occasion. Two penannular ring-brooches (6th and 7th century AD) were recovered from the ringfort ditch. Pits were recorded outside the fort. A pit to the E contained a collection of animal bone and a pin-sharpening stone. Pits located to the W showed evidence of intense burning, one produced a small crucible fragment suggesting that metalworking was taking place. Quantities of iron slag from across the enclosure also indicate iron-smithing (Taylor 2008, 241-2).

See attached Site Location Plan prepared by TVAS Ireland Ltd.

Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan

Date of upload: 14 July 2020

References

Bermingham, N., Coyne, F., Hull, G., Reilly, F. and Taylor, K. 2013 River Road: The archaeology of the Limerick Southern Ring Road with contributions by Eoin Grogan, Penny Johnston, Linda Lynch, Stephen Mandal, Charles Mount, Joanna Nolan, Paul O’Keeffe, Helen Roche, Sara Pavía and Angela Wallace, NRA Scheme Monographs 14.

Taylor, K. 2004 Prehistoric features and an early medieval enclosure at Coonagh West, Co. Limerick. In J. O’Sullivan and M. Stanley (eds.) New Routes to the Past, 73-9. Dublin. Wordwell Books.

Taylor, K. 2008 Coonagh West: Prehistoric fulachta fiadh, settlement and trackway; early medieval enclosure. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2005: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 241-2, No. 975. Dublin. Wordwell.