Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In reclaimed pasture, in centre of an archaeological complex (LI048-034006/042-) located on the 'Supposed Site of Temaír Erann', which was the ancient cemetery of the Ernai tribe on Slievereagh (Sliabh Riabhach) (Westropp 1919, 9; Westropp 1917-19, 179; Westropp 1918, 111). Bivallate ringfort stands inside a large field system (LI048-034001-), ringfort (LI048-034037-) lies 30m to N and three burial mounds (LI048-034010/012-) lie to the SW.
Listed as Ringfort No. 7 in the ‘Northern Group’ of forts excavated by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 128-132) between 1934-5. Monument described by Ó Ríordáin (ibid.) as follows; ‘This fort with an overall diameter of about 140 feet [42.6m] was originally double ramparted, but the inner bank had been used on the southern side as portion of the field fence and on the northern side had disappeared, though the slope of the fosse showed. The entrance was on the western side of the fort. The inner fosse of this fort was much better marked than the outer one and excavation showed that the latter was better on the southern than on the northern side, there being, indeed, only the suggestion of a fosse on the north.’ Excavations of the ringfort interior were described as following; ‘On the northern side of the fort was a line of stones, rather indefinitely suggesting the remains of a wall and on the western side of the fort we found that the inner bank had a low wall as facing on its inner side. This wall was less than 2 feet [0.6m] in height. Beside it we found a considerable amount of iron slag.’ Bivallate ringfort clearly visible as a circular shaped area (diam. c. 24m) enclosed by two banks with intervening fosse intersected at S by post-1700 field boundary running E-W on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages.

See attached plans and photograph of wall from Ó Ríordáin and Google Earth orthoimages.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 26 August 2021

References

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.

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.

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1940 Excavations at Cush, Co. Limerick (1934 and 1935). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 45, 83-181.

Westropp, T.J. 1917-19 The Earthworks, Traditions, and the Gods of South-Eastern Co. Limerick, Especially from Knocklong to Temair Erann. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature 34, 127-183.

Westropp, T.J. 1918 Temair Erann, an Ancient Cemetery of the Ernai on Slievereagh, County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland, 111-20.