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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Meelick (Gallen By.), County Mayo, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - rath, Meelick, 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
Meelick (Gallen By.)
County
Mayo
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Indicated
Coordinates
53.92522, -9.02192
SMR number
MA071-027002-

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 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1790 · Composite: 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 pasture, located on a rise which provides good views E-wards over rolling grassland, and within the N half of a possible large enclosure (MA071-027003-). Meelick round tower (MA071-028003-) is visible 400m to SSE.
A roughly circular platform (30.7m E−W; c. 30m N−S) defined by a scarp (ext. H 1.45m at NE, 1m at S), which has been cut almost to the vertical and faced with drystone walling. The stone facing is relatively intact along the N arc and in parts at SE, but elsewhere is largely tumbled. A break (Wth 3m) in the scarp at W opens onto a road which skirts the W arc of the enclosure.
The interior slopes gently down from the perimeter to centre, giving it a slightly saucer-shaped profile. There is no visible trace of a chapel (MA071-027001-) which is shown in the centre of the interior on the 1838 OS 6-inch map. A bullaun stone (MA071-027004-) was found in the NE quadrant of the interior.
This enclosure is most likely a rath, which has been modified in the modern era. The drystone facing on the enclosing scarp is probably contemporary with a ruined vernacular cottage/buildings located immediately outside the enclosure at NW.
The perimeter is ringed by hawthorn and blackthorn, and blackthorn scrub encroaches on the interior.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 2 July 2021

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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