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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Behy More, County Mayo, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - rath, Behy More, County Mayo, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Behy More
County
Mayo
Country
Ireland
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured
Coordinates
54.10782, -9.10213
SMR number
MA031-051----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1841 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

In undulating pasture, on low ridge, overlooking the confluence of the Busna and Black Rivers, which lies 160m to SE. Ground falls away gently to W and S. Good views. There is a farmstead immediately to SE.
Raised circular area (30.4m N-S; 32.5m E-W) defined by bank (Wth. 5.3m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1.25m to E) and elsewhere by a substantial scarp (H 1.9m to W) elsewhere. A low stone kerb is evident on the inner face of the bank at N−E. On 1922 OS 6-inch map, a field fence is shown encircling the site. This was removed during land reclamation, except for a section at SSW−NNW. The intervening gap between the surviving arc of field fence (Wth 1.5m; H 0.6-1.1m) and the rath bank varies (5.7m to SSW; 4m to NW), but it may preserve the line of an infilled fosse. The rath interior is highest W-NW, sloping gently from there towards the entrance gap to E. The entrance survives as a broad slumped area (Wth 4.5m) faced on N side with two large stones. There is a local tradition of a souterrain (MA031-051001-) in the interior. There is a concentration of nettles and thistles in the highest part of the interior to NW; sycamore and hawthorn ring the bank.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 19 June 2018

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Ringfort - rath in Mayo All County Mayo records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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