Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough, fern-grown pasture, prominently sited, crowning a rise or hillock at the SE end of a NW−SE ridge, with excellent views in all directions. The fall of ground is particularly steep at NE−SE. The location formed part of the estate of Killedan House, a late 18th-/19th- century farmhouse, located c. 250m to SE, and the hillock and rath are planted with a stand of beech trees.
Broadly oval platform (24.7m N−S; 20m E−W) defined by a substantial scarp (H 2m at N, 1.8m at S, 2.8m at WSW; Wth slope 6.5m at S), enhanced at NE−SW by the natural fall of ground. A slight undulation is evident 3-4m outside the scarp on the N arc –it might be remnant of an outer enclosing element but this is very uncertain.
The base of the hillock, at a distance of 10-20m outside and downslope of the rath, is enclosed by a ditch (Wth 2m; D 0.9m) with an external bank (Wth c. 3m; int. H 0.9m; ext. H 1.2m, at W) which follow the contour of the hillock from N−NW, but do not continue at NW−N where the gap is closed by a straight field fence on a NE−SW axis. The outer ditch and bank seems likely to be late features, related to the planting of the hill and the conversion of the rath into an estate feature.
The rath interior is very gently domed, with a slope down to SW−W. There is a shallow oblong hollow (4.8m NNW−SSE; 2m ENE−WSW; D 0.4m) to NE of centre, a smaller hollow 3m to S, and another hollow containing a fallen tree trunk in the SW quadrant. There is no clearly defined entrance –it may have been at SE−S where the slope appears slightly more gradual.
Beech trees grow on the rath perimeter. Low remnants of a field fence extend downslope from the rath to W. A quarry pit (diam. 10-12m) is dug into the hill slope immediately to SE of the rath.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 14 September 2021