Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on top of a rise, overlooking a bend in the Sonnagh River c. 70m to S; in recent times, the course of the river has been diverted and it now lies further to S.
Broadly oval area (25.5m NW-SE; 20.5m NE-SW) defined by an earthen scarp (Wth slope 2.5m at NE, 4.6m at SW; ext. H 1.4m at NE, 2.4m at SW). The scarp is well defined, and at S−NW utilises the steep natural fall of ground. A low bank (Wth 1-1.5m; H 0.3-0.4m) tops the scarp at S−NW, but this may be a later field boundary. A slight depression is evident immediately outside the scarp at NE−SE, possibly indicating a fosse. There is a poorly defined low area (Wth c. 2m) in the scarp at SE and narrow eroded gaps at N and NE, but it is unclear if any of these indicates the location of an original entrance.
The interior is level in the W and centre, sloping down from there gently to NE−E, and more steeply to SE. A depression or trench (L 4m; Wth 2m; D 1m) cuts through the scarp at NW; it is largely obscured by overgrowth and its significance is uncertain. A road skirts the rath at SW−WNW. A field boundary, shown intersecting with the S edge of the rath on the 1919 OS 6-inch map, has been removed.
Thick hummocks of grass cover the interior; the slope of scarp on the W half is covered by gorse and broom.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 7 December 2020