Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on the NW outskirts of Ballina town, located at N end of a small N-S ridge in an area of undulating grassland.
Raised oval area (34.6m E-W; 26m N-S) defined by an earthen bank (Wth c. 6-7m) and enclosed by a fosse (Wth 3.7m), with an external bank (Wth c. 4m), which is evident only at W−N. Immediately to N of the rath a portion of the ridge has been deliberately scarped creating the effect of a roughly square platform or annex (25.7m NNE-SSW; c. 23m ESE-WNW) appended to the N−NE side of the rath.
The inner bank of the rath is substantial, with a pronounced external slope, especially at NE-E. There is evidence of stone facing in parts along its internal slope. The fosse can be traced for the full circuit. The external bank is extant only on the NW arc; there is no trace of it at N−SE; at SSE−SSW appears to have been truncated by, or possibly partly incorporated into, a later E−W field fence.
The interior has a slight slope down to SE. In the S half, close to the bank, is a depression (Diam. c. 3m; D 0.6m), which is almost entirely filled by a massive boulder. There are two gaps in the inner bank, but the original entrance is unclear. A gap (Wth 2.5m) at SE, is partly defined on N side by stones, and immediately to S of this gap, the external face of the bank is roughly faced with boulders. A gap (Wth 2.5m) in the inner bank at the N has a corresponding break (Wth 4m) in the external bank. This break occurs at the junction of the fosse and external bank with the scarp which define the ‘annex’.
This ‘annex’ is defined on the S by the rath fosse, on W and N by a scarp (H 1.7m) with a slight internal rim (Wth 1.4m; H 0.2m), but on E only by the natural ridge slope. It is possible that this modification of the ridge is contemporary with the rath, but it seems more likely that it is of more recent date.
Gorse, hawthorn and brambles obscure much of the enclosing elements.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 18 April 2018