Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on a terrace on the E-facing slope of a ridge. Ground falls away from the edge of the terrace to E−SE, providing fine views over the estuary of the River Moy and Killala Bay. To W the ridge slope rises gently.
A raised circular area or platform (20.5m E−W; 21.4m N−S) defined by a scarp topped in parts with remnants of a bank. The platform rises to a height of c. 1m above the surrounding field level.
On the W half of the circuit the scarp (1.1m) retains a low lip/remnant of a bank (Wth 1.2m; int. H 0.1m) which barely rises above internal ground level. On the NW arc this has a rough inner kerb of stones. On the E half the scarp (H 1.24m) is higher, to compensate for the natural fall of ground, and broadly slumped, with large stones protruding randomly from it, and large stones and boulders strewn at its base. Slight traces of an infilled external fosse (Wth c. 3.5m) noted in 1995 were no longer evident in a subsequent inspection in 2017.
A broad, poorly defined break (Wth c. 5m) in the scarp at W may be an original entrance.
Covered in long grass, thistles, nettles, with two small twisted hawthorn bushes on the scarp at SE. A farm track, flanked by post and wire fences, lies immediately to N−NNE.
There is are raths (MA014-066----; MA014-064----; MA015-092----) 175m to NNE, 270m to SSW and 400m to SE, respectively, and a court tomb (MA015-028----) is 400m to ESE.

Attached images;
MA014-065----_01.JPG viewed from W
MA014-065----_02.JPG viewed from E

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 22 July 2022