Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, encompasses the flat top of an oval knoll (H c. 3m), located c. 10m from the shore on a small headland projecting into the SW side of Killala Bay. The headland becomes an island at high tide when the narrow neck of wet ground connecting it to the mainland is submerged. The location provides widespread view over the bay NE−SE, and of the surrounding undulating coastal pastureland SW−N.
A roughly oval area (17m NW–SE; 13.6m NE–SW) defined by the low remnants of a bank (Wth c. 2m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 1.4m) at NW–N, reduced elsewhere to an earthen scarp. The scarp is well defined at S-NW, but is quite degraded at NNE-SE, with much stone randomly protruding from it. The entrance may have been at NNE where there is a low area in the bank, facing the most gently sloping side of the knoll. The interior has a slight slope down from centre to NE; it is grassy and featureless.
There is another rath (MA015-053----) located 60m to W on the same headland. A cluster of three other raths (MA015-050----; MA015-051----; MA015-052----) is located c. 300m to NW–N.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 7 December 2018