Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, straddling the E side of a low rise in rolling terrain dotted with drumlin-like knolls. Immediately to W there is an expanse of lowlying wet pasture. There is a canalised stream/drain 30m to S. Views are good generally, somewhat restricted to N by gently rising ground.
This rath is named ‘Cloonaspick Fort’ on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch maps. It consists of a circular area (estimated diam. c. 30m) defined by an earthen bank/scarp (H 0.4m at NNW; 0.7-0.8m at SE, 1.2m at W), outside which is a fosse (Wth 2m) with an external bank (Wth 3.5m; int. H 1m; ext. H 0.1m at W). Dense blackthorn bushes have colonised the interior, and an almost impenetrable ring of blackthorn, brambles and ash trees grow on the perimeter. Where the inner bank/scarp can be accessed, it appears to be well defined, retaining a slight internal lip at SE. The fosse survives as a distinct depression on the W half, but at E is merely a level gap between the two banks. The external bank is evident as a low, sod-covered rise topped with stone in parts, rather degraded at NE, with several eroded gaps.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 6 December 2018