Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In sharply undulating pasture, on the N outskirts of Ballina town, located on top of a NW–SE spur on the NW end of a ridge and utilising the steep natural slopes. It commands extensive views over the surrounding countryside. There is stream at base of the slope to W-NW.
This rath is not shown on the 1837 OS 6-inch map; it is shown on the 1930 edition as a hachured semicircular arc, curving W−NE. It consists of a roughly oval or D-shaped area (42m E-W; 22m N-S), with the outline of the ridge top dictating the shape and size of the enclosure. It is defined by a scarp (H 0.6-1m) and enclosed on the N half by a fosse (Wth 2.8m) with an external bank (Wth 2.4m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 0.5m).
The enclosing scarp is degraded and poorly defined, with occasional stones protrude from the sod along its edge. The fosse is clearly visible at SW–E as a broad, shallow depression, and there are slight hints that it may continue around the S half of the enclosure. The outer bank is clearly defined at SW–E, where it coincides with the break of slope of the ridge top, with its external slope at SW–NW merging seamlessly with the natural hill slope. It cannot be traced at SE–SSW; a slight E-W rise here appears to be remnants of a later field bank.
The interior has a gentle slope down to N and S from a central E-W spine of level ground. There is a slight depression, without clearly defined edges, in the NE quadrant. The entrance, in the form of a causeway (Wth 3m) over the fosse, is at the ENE, in line with the natural spine of the ridge.
Minor areas of quarrying or disturbance are evident in the scarp at NE and S.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 17 April 2018