Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on a low rise.
This well preserved rath consists of a raised, circular area (36.5m E–W; c. 37m N–S) enclosed by three banks with intervening fosses.
The innermost bank (Wth c. 3m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.8m), which defines the central platform, drops into a well defined fosse (Wth 3.8m) with an external bank (4.9m; int. H 0.9m; ext. H1.1m). Outside this, the second fosse (Wth 3-3.5m) can only be traced at S–NE, and the third or outermost bank (Wth 2.7m; int. H 0.95m; ext. H 1m) has been removed at SE−SW, serves as a field boundary at SW–NW and is incorporated into the line of a later field boundary at NW−NNE.
There is a gap (Wth 3m) in the inner bank at SE, with traces of stone-faced, which most likely marks an original entrance. The access route across the innermost fosse here is flanked by low banks, partly stone lined, leading to a corresponding gap in the second/middle bank; the outermost fosse and bank have been levelled at this point.
The rath interior is obscured by clumps of brambles and long grass; the perimeter is thickly ringed with hawthorn, blackthorn, sycamore and brambles. Two raths (MA073-023----; MA073-024----) are located c. 250m to SSW and there is an enclosure (MA073-021----) c. 300m to N.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 4 June 2021