Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on rising ground in hilly terrain. There is a spring-fed pool at the base of the slope c. 100m to NE, where there is a holy well (MA040-074) and a fulacht fia (MA040-103). Ballymore Lough is 150m to SW and Lough Caorhann and Cartron Loughs are 200m and 500m to ENE, respectively. There is an area of quarrying to S.
This rath is named ‘Lisatrawbuie’ on the 1922 OS 6-inch map. It consists of a raised circular area or platform (33m N−S; 34.5m E−W) defined by an earthen bank/scarp, and enclosed by a fosse with an external bank of earth and stone. A short arc (L c. 5m) of the inner earthen bank (Wth c. 3m) appears to survive at S, but is largely concealed by overgrowth; elsewhere it is reduced to a scarp (H 1.6-1.8m), with stones protruding from the external face in parts. The fosse is a broad, shallow depression (Wth 4.3m at E, 5m at WSW) defined on its outer rim by the external bank (Wth 5.3m at WSW, c. 7m at E; int. H 1.2m; ext. H 1.6m at WSW, 2.5m at NE). At S−SW the fosse changes in form to a narrow terrace (Wth 2-3m) and the external bank is reduced to a broad, steep scarp which merges with a later field wall.
The location of the original entrance is uncertain. It may have been at NE where there is a gap (Wth 1.2m) in the scarp, now obscured by overgrowth, with a corresponding break in the outer bank, now blocked by a later field wall. There are narrow breaks eroded by farm stock at W and a low area in the external bank at NNW.
The interior slopes gently down from centre to SE. In the NW quadrant there is a small, roughly circular hollow (diam. 1.6m; D 0.3m) with a slightly raised stony rim.
The interior is grassy; the perimeter is ringed with hazel, blackthorn, brambles and gorse.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 8 June 2020