Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In an area of undulating, rough coastal pasture, located on a short headland overlooking the N end of Trabaun beach, on the W side of Kilalla Bay.
Slightly raised circular area (31m N-S; c. 28m E-W) defined by low scarp (H 0.4m at NW, 0.8-1m at NE), which is incorporated into a later field wall on S−NNE. At NE-E where there is a natural fall of ground, the scarp has a stepped profile. The scarp is poorly preserved, being rather uneven and irregular in outline. It is intermittently topped with a slight stony rise, possibly the remnants of a bank or wall.
The interior is level but has an uneven surface, broken at W and SW by a cluster of small irregular mounds and hollows. Further evidence of recent disturbance is evident in two small C-shaped areas quarried out of the scarp at the S. At the E a low L-shaped sod-covered stony bank (Wth 1.5m; H 0.2m) marks off an area (6m E-W; 7m N-S) against the perimeter of the platform. Appended to the external face of the scarp at SSE−SW is an oblong or sub-rectangular terrace (26.4m NE-SW; 7-8m NW-SE) defined externally by a scarp (H 0.7m; Wth slope 1m) with a slightly raised rim. Stones protruding from the sod suggest that the terrace scarp was faced with stone. A narrow, shallow gully (Wth 1.2m; D 0.1m) intervenes between the base of the rath scarp and the terrace.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 13 November 2018