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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Raheennamadra, County Limerick, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - rath, Raheennamadra, County Limerick, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Raheennamadra
County
Limerick
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Hachured
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured (1927)
Coordinates
52.41731, -8.39322
SMR number
LI041-013006-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1882 · Ireland (southern half). (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1904 · Sheet 13. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture on the summit of Knockaunatarriff (444 ft. OD), 15m E of townland boundary with Mitchelstowndown North. Two mounds (LI041-013002/003-) lie 17m to the SW and a standing stone (LI041-013009-) lies 125m to the NE. Depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map as a raised oval-shaped platform defined by a scarp. Shown on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map a raised roughly D-shaped platform (dims. c. 26m N-S; 29m E-W) defined by a scarp and enclosed by a fosse from SE-S-W-NW.
Earthwork described by Westropp (1917-19, 174) as ‘a small round platform fort, 60 [18m] to 61ft. [18.5m] across, and 5ft. [1.5m] high. Trace of a fosse 12ft. [3.6m] wide gird it to the S. W. and N. There is a trace of an outer ring to the SE.’
In 1960 a survey by Stenberger (1966, 38) listed this earthwork as ‘Site II’ which consisted of a ‘circular platform with a diameter of about 30m and is bordered by a fosse not quite 1m deep.’ Monument visible as a raised circular-shaped area with enclosing fosse from SE-S-W-N-NE on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages. The Google Earth orthoimage dated 18/11/2018 shows linear cropmarks running NE-SW which intersect the monument at SE and NE with rectangular earthworks to the N, these may form part of a field system (LI041-013018-).

See attached contour plan of enclosure taken from Stenberger (1966) and Google Earth orthoimages.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 28 July 2021

See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – 318/16 taken on 05/10/2002. 343/20 and 21 on 05/01/2003.

References

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

Westropp, T.J. 1916-19 The Later Pagan Sanctuaries of Co. Limerick. Journal of the North Munster Antiquarian Society 4, 2, 122-48, 157-83.

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.

Stenberger, M. 1966 A ringfort at Raheenamadra, Knocklong, Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 65C, 37-54.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Ringfort - rath in Limerick All County Limerick records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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