Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on a rise, in gently undulating coastal terrain, overlooking an inlet in Killala Bay c. 150m to E.
This rath is named ‘Rathbeg’ on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch map. It consists of a raised, roughly circular area (21m NW–SE; 20.5m NE–SW) defined at NE–E by remnants of a broadly slumped bank (Wth 5.6m; int. H 0.3m; ext. 1.45m) and elsewhere by an earthen scarp (H 1.2m at S; 0.5m at W), which is almost vertical and faced with stone at S–SW, and at W-N is very low and degraded. There is low section/break (Wth c. 3m) at S, but is unclear if this represents an original entrance. A field fence/property boundary, on NE–SW axis, bisects the interior to W of centre.
Appended to the S–SW end of the rath is a semi-circular terrace (17m NW–SE; 12.6m NE–SW), which is at a level c. 1m lower than the rath interior. It is defined at E–SW by a scarp, and is bordered at W by the field fence that bisects the rath.
There is a rath (MA015-050----) 130m to NNE and another rath (MA015-051----) 100m to ENE. Two other raths (MA015-053----; MA015-054----) are visible c. 300m to SE.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 6 December 2018