Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Ringfort known locally as 'Lísín an Bhrogha' stands in small woodland area, on the SW edge of Bruff town, on the S bank of the Morningstar River with public road to S, which marks the townland boundary with Brackvoan. The site of two castles (LI032-115001-/115002-) lie 100m to E and 110m to NE respectively with Bruff church (LI032-115003-) and graveyard (LI032-115003-) standing 200m to ENE. Annotated ‘Lísín-a-Bhrogha’ on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map where it is depicted as a roughly circular-shaped platform (dims. c. 46m N-S; 42m E-W). The town and parish of Bruff are named after this monument which may indicate that it was the site of a high status residence of a Gaelic chieftain. In 1840 the Ordnance Survey recorded the following details about this monument; 'The name of this Parish is in Irish Brugh na Déise which signifies the Brugh, Burgum or Chief Seat of the Territory of Deisy (Déise Beag) which is the ancient name of the territory in which it is situated. The feature originally called Brogh ls a fort of earth which is situated in the Townland of Bruff in a grove thickly planted with elms, which also extend over the fort itself on the south west bank of the River called the Morning Star and in the immediate vicinity of the Town of Bruff to the west. This fort is called in Irish by the people Lísín a Bhrogha and Lísín Aerach a' Bhrogha, i .e. , the Airy (Little) Fort of the Brugh (Bruff). It consists of a double mound, the lower portion of which is about one hundred and forty four paces [m] in circumference at the base and the upper portion ninety five feet [109m] in diameter at the top. There is a horizontal space of eight feet [2.4m] and in some parts (here the bank of the upper moat is injured) much wider, between the two moats, which are nearly of the same height. The entire height is about twelve feet [3.65m]; in some parts not so much. The entrance to this fort (or moat) is on the eastern side' (OSL Bruff Parish, 36).
Monument is obscured today by woodland on OSi orthoimages taken 2005-2012, on Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013 and on Google Earth orthoimages taken 25/03/2017 and 28/06/2018.

See attached Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 8 November 2020

References

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.