Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In flat gently undulating wet pasture at the junction of three townlands (Loughgur, Moohane and Kilcullane) predominantly within Kilcullane townland straddling the townland boundary where the N edge of the external fosse is located within Moohane. The site is located 1km SE of the Carraig Aille stone forts (LI032-053002-/003-) at Lough Gur. The site is part of a complex of archaeological monuments comprising of a ringfort (LI032-071001-) at its centre; outer defensive enclosures (LI032-071002-) surrounding the fort; possible settlement earthworks (LI032-071004-) abutting the SE side and a mound (LI032-071003-) located 30m NW in Loughgur townland. The ringfort (LI032-071001-) is depicted as a circular antiquity (ext. diam. c. 35m) on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. Depicted as a circular embanked enclosure (ext. diam. c. 37.5m) on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map. O'Kelly (1942-3, 241) described the monument as a 'circular earthen platform surrounded by a fosse, which is continuous. The entrance is not recognisable. The platform is 5' [1.5m] high over the fosse-bottom and the overall diameter is 135' [41m]. Situated in poor low-land'.
Outer enclosing elements (LI032-071002-) identified by Bruff aerial photographic survey in 1986 (Bruff 175; AP 4/3606) as outer double ditched enclosures around a ringfort (LI032-071001-). The defensive enclosures are visible on the OSi orthoimage taken 2005-12 and on Digital Globe orthoimage taken 2011-2013 where the extent of the external defences (LI032-071002-) are visible up to 30m outside the interior of the fort (ext. diam. c. 83m N-S; 73m E-W). The W and NW margins of the circular defensive enclosures have been truncated by later agricultural field boundaries and associated land improvement visible on Google Earth orthoimages taken 05/04/2006; 25/03/2017 and 28/06/2018. The latest Google Earth orthoimage taken 20/09/2020 in combination with the Bruff aerial photograph suggests that the site consists of the internal enclosure surround by a bank and two external fosses each with an external bank.

See attached Bruff survey image Bruff 4/3606 and Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan

Date of upload: 19 November 2020

See attached ASI aerial photograph ASIAP - 349/1 taken 13/09/2002.

References

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).

O'Kelly, M.J. 1942-3 A survey of the antiquities in the barony of Small County, Co. Limerick. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 3, 75-97, 169-84, 222-46.