Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough pasture, in S quadrant 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).
Listed by Ó Ríordáin as 'Ringfort 3, Southern Group' with souterrain (LI048-034031-) in NE quadrant of interior which stands inside a large field system (LI048-034001-), the earthwork N of three conjoined ringforts (LI048-034028/016/041-). Excavated by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 101-104) between 1934-5, the results of which were described as follows; 'Ring-Fort 3 is as it were the focus of the three forts 1 [LI048-034025-], 2 [LI048-034026-] and 4 [LI048-034028-]. It is in the main surrounded by the usual single fosse and bank but has on about one-third of its circumference on the eastern side a second (outer) bank and fosse, this latter fosse connecting at its northern end with the fosse of No. 2 [LI048-034026-] and at its southern end with that of No. 4 [LI048-034028-].
The entrance to Ring-Fort 3 is on the western side of the fort where the fosses are interrupted by a solid passage about 17 feet [5.18m] in width. The end of the fosse at either side of the entrance was found to have a facing of dry stone masonry. That portion of the fosse to the northern side of the entrance was filled with silting containing much organic refuse in which was a considerable amount of clay reddened by burning. Within the fort, the entrance was protected by two pairs of posts, the centre of the outer pair of holes for which were about 6 feet [1.8m] apart, those of the second pair about 10 feet [3.04m]. Outside the southern post-holes were found the remains of a stone kerb set on the inner side of the bank. No further traces of walls or house foundations, as evidently were, could be found over this area which also showed only one post-hole about 10 feet [3.04m] west of the two rows of stones first referred to. Several groups of post-holes on the southern and south-eastern side of the ring-fort are so placed as to suggest rectangular houses, no group however being so clear as unambiguously to give the plan of a house, and, as in the other ring-forts dealt with, superimposing of houses at various times must be regarded as the reason for this.
One group of seven post-holes and a groove (12 feet [3.65m] long and 9 inches [0.22m] deep), which may be a wall foundation, on the southern side of the ring-fort suggest a roughly rectangular house, which may have been paved with rather large flat-stones (having an average of about 8 inches [0.2m] greatest dimension). If we are correct in our supposition that this group represents one house, its dimensions would be 16 feet [4.87] by 12 feet [3.65m]. North of this we find four post-holes in an almost exact straight line, the distance between the end post-holes being 11 feet [3.35m]. This again, though we cannot complete the house plan, we must regard as the side of a house. East of these is a further group of post-holes which do not make a definite plan, though the dotted line shown may represent the position of the house walls. On the eastern side of the unroofed portion of the souterrain was an area paved with stone evidently part of a house floor.
In order to get a section of the defences of the fort on its eastern side we cut through the banks and fosses here. On the top of the inner bank of the fort we found a small cist-like structure presumably a hearth, the interior measurements of which were: 1¾ feet [0.53m] by 1¼ feet [0.38m]; it was built of stones having a thickness of about 7 inches [0.17m], set on edge, The structure is similar to that already described in the centre of Ring 2 [LI048-034026-] with the difference that the latter was more oblong in outline and had only three side while this one had four. Careful excavation did not yield among the clay filling of the hearth anything more than some small fragments of unidentifiable calcined bone. A hearth on the top of a bank is a surprising feature.
The relative age of Ring-Forts 1 [LI048-034025-] and 3 [LI048-034027-] has been discussed when dealing with the former fort. We made attempts to procure, by means of sections across the fosses, similar evidence regarding the relative date of No. 3 as compared with Nos. 2 [LI048-034026-] and 4 [LI048-034028-]. The result was, however, inconclusive. We found that the fosses of No. 3 in most cases cut into the underlying rock and the sections also showed that the inner fosse of No. 3, while it touched that of No. 1 [LI048-034025-] and No. 2 [LI048-034026-], cut into the fosse of No. 4 [LI048-034028-] but did not coincide with it, giving in section a composite outline, the fosse of the latter fort having been cut lower that that of the former. The section further revealed that though the fosses of the three ring-forts may not have been cut at the same time they were probably still free of silting when the latest of the three was cut. The section across the eastern defences of Ring-Fort 3 showed that the outer fosse was as deep, though not quite so wide, as the inner one. The outer bank was better preserved than the inner. The filling of the outer fosse was particularly uniform and was a much darker silting that that in the inner fosse suggesting that it consisted largely of the peaty material washed form the hill-side above the fort.’
Ringfort is subject to Preservation Order 34 (23/01/1935). Earthwork visible as a circular shaped area defined by a fosse on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages.

See attached plans and photos taken from Ó Ríordáin and Google Earth orthoimages.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 2 September 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. 1918 Temair Erann, an Ancient Cemetery of the Ernai on Slievereagh, County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland, 111-20.

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.