Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located at a break of slope on the N side of a narrow E–W ridge, which borders the W shoreline of the River Moy estuary; immediately to N of the rath the ground levels out for c. 20m, then there is an abrupt drop to the stony shoreline. There are good views to N over the estuary as it opens into Killala Bay, and to S and W over undulating grassland.
Raised circular platform (16.4m E–W; 13.7m N–S) defined by a stony bank, and enclosed by a fosse with an external bank. The raised profile of the rath is enhanced by the steep contours of the ridge on which it is sited; the S half appears to have been built up to create a level interior.
The inner bank (Wth 5.3m; int. H 0.15m; ext. H 3.6m, at SSW) is degraded to a low rim on its internal face on the S arc, and on the N arc is reduced to a scarp (ext. H 3.4m). Stones, possibly the remnants of a kerb, can be discerned in parts along the inner edge of the bank. In parts, where the sod is eroded, cockle shells can be seen incorporated into the stony earthen makeup of the bank.
The fosse (Wth 3.5-4m) and external bank (Wth c. 4.3m; int. H 0.45m; ext. H 1.2m) are well defined at NE–W, but are truncated at W–NW by an old quarry pit (max. dim. 4-5m) dug into the external slope of the rath mound, and at NNW–NE by a later field fence.
In the interior there is a slight dip in the SE quadrant, sloping towards the entrance gap (Wth 3.4m) at SE, which opens onto a causeway (Wth c. 3m) across the fosse and a corresponding gap in the external bank. The S side of the causeway is defined by a low bank (Wth 1.8m; H 0.2-0.4m) which extends to ESE for c. 9m and then turns to S for 5m before petering out; this may be the remnants of a later field boundary rather than a feature contemporary with the rath.
An E–W farm track skirts the S side of the rath. A slightly dished or hollow, roughly circular area (5.6m E–W; 7.4m N–S) defined by a slight rim is located 10m E of the rath; it appears to be the result of quarrying.
There is a church (MA022-055001-) and graveyard (MA022-055002-) c. 140m to E on the same ridge.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 2 May 2019