Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Enclosure
Castlematrix, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Castlematrix
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.51525, -8.96713
- SMR number
- LI029-016----
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
On undulating pasture 250m W of townland boundary with Courtmatrix and 2km SW of Rathkeale. The ringfort known as the Rath of Rathkeale (LI029-031007-) is located 1400m to ENE. The site is not depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map nor is it on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map. The site is not visible on the OSi orthoimage taken 2005-12 or on the Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013.
The ‘enclosure’ was identified by the Limerick City Archaeologist Celie O’Rahilly in 1990 during fieldwork associated with the construction of the Rathkeale bypass. The site has subsequently been developed for housing. A map prepared by O’Rahilly suggested that an enclosure (Site B ext. diam. c. 35m) occupied the site. The location is visible on the Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. The Google Earth orthoimage reveals three small cropmark enclosures (ext. diam. c. 10m) and other associated cropmark features 160m S of the enclosure (LI029-016----). These sites roughly overlap with a kiln marked on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map.
See attached extract from a report by Celie O’Rahilly1990 and Google Earth orthoimages
Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan
Date of upload: 24 September 2020
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Designed landscape - tree-ringunder 1 mi
- Mill - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.