Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in grassland with Bulgaden Castle (LI040-) 690m to ENE. Depicted as a circular shaped ringfort, annotated ‘Rathbaun’ on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map, with Trigonometrical Point in centre of monument marking height of 374 ft. OD. High status platform ringfort or possible medieval ringwork which consists of a raised D-shaped area (approx. diam. 21m NE-SW) with straight side (L. 21m) at E enclosed by an earth and stone bank and wide shallow external fosse with possible entrance gap at SE visible on OSi orthoimages. Possible scrub-covered mound in NW quadrant of interior, visible on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. This mound may have been built by the Ordnance Survey when a Trigonometrical Point was placed inside the monument. The Trig Point is clearly visible in the NW quadrant on the Cassini ed. OSi 6-inch map which also clearly shows the wide shallow external fosse enclosing the monument. The 1897 ed, OS 25-inch map shows a small indentation on the SE side of the monument which could be the result of 19th century quarrying or may be the remains of an original entrance feature. The cartographic evidence would suggest that it is a 19th / 20th century feature rather than the remains of a medieval entrance feature.
In 1840 the Ordnance Survey Letters described the monument as ‘Rathbaun Fort, with a Trig[onometrical]l. Point on it’ (OSL Kilbreedy Major Parish, 866). Westropp (1916-17, 491-2) recorded the following details about this earthwork; ‘Bulgadan was the site of a legendary battle where the High King Fiach Labraind fell before Eochaidh Mumho about "B.C. 419." At least the legend shows a belief in the early fame of the place'. The Down Survey (Map 34) mentions the "castle and a rath" of Bulgideen nan Doe, in.1655. The earthwork, a shapely mote near the Roman Catholic church, is called Rathbaun, which suggests, with the remains, that there was once a wall of the local white limestone round its summit. It is just inside Ballygrennan townland. The mound is 18 feet [5.5m] high to the south-west, 22 feet [6.7m] to the south, and 17 feet [5.2m] to the north. The top is slightly hollow, with a gravel-like mound to the north-west. It measures 66 feet [20m] north and south, 96 feet [29.2m] east and west. There are slight traces of a ring in a low mound 12 feet [3.6m] wide round the edge. A slight hollow, perhaps the trace of a fosse, surrounds the mote, and is 25 feet [7.6m] wide’.
In 1919 he suggested that this platform earthwork or low motte was one of fifteen in this area including ‘Rathbane or Bulgadin, Ligadoon, Aghadoon, Atheneasy, four in Knocklong, three in Cush and Ballinvreena at the foot of Slievereagh, Glenbrochain or Ballingarry Down; Rahanna and Raheenamadral “the dog’s little fort”. Their number precludes the idea that they are inauguration mounds, or feudal castles, and scattered across such an extent they clearly belong to no one cemetery, they are most probably residential’ (Westropp 1919, 13).

See attached Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 8 October 2020

See attached ASI aerial photograph ASIAP – 370/14 on 10/05/2003.

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.

Westropp, T.J. 1916-17 On certain typical earthworks and ring walls in Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 33C, 9-42, 444-92.

Westropp, T.J. 1919 The ancient places of assembly in the counties Limerick and Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 49, 1-24.

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