Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on top of a ridge, with a steep fall of ground to NW into an expanse of wet ground. There is a small lake 100m to W, Cloonturnaun Lough is 340m to NNW, and there is a broad expanse of bog 300m to S−SW.
Named ‘Lisnadurraha’ on the 1838 and 1917 OS 6-inch maps, this rath consists of a raised circular area (40m N–S; 40.3m E–W) defined by an earthen bank (Wth c. 4m, 3m at N; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 1.8m at S, 1.6m at N), outside which it is enclosed at on the S half by a fosse (Wth 3m) with an external bank (Wth 2.8m; int. H 0.75m; ext. H 0.7m, at S). There are also slight traces of the fosse on the NW arc but it cannot be traced on the NE arc, and the outer bank is entirely removed on the N half of the rath.
The rath has been boxed in by later field boundaries at E, S and W: At W-NW a straight field fence extends across the fosse and outer bank; at NE another field fence intersects with the rath; at S the outer bank is topped with a post and wire fence; the external face of the inner bank at NW–ENE has been cut to the vertical, and there are traces of stone facing on the exterior face of the inner bank at S.
The entrance is at the E where there is gap (Wth 2.3m) in the inner bank and traces of a causeway across the fosse. A corresponding break in the outer bank is blocked by a later field fence.
Slightly E of centre in the interior there is a perceptible but poorly defined rise (diam. c. 10m). In the level NW quadrant, a single upright slab (H 0.5m; Wth 0.8m; T 0.2m) protrudes from the surface.
Grass cover, with gorse bushes at intervals around the perimeter. There is a small quarry pit immediately outside the outer bank at SE.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 11 March 2022