Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Rathgillen, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Rathgillen
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Rathcarn
- Latest-edition OS map
- Rathcarn
- Coordinates
- 53.83772, -6.74116
- SMR number
- ME006-016----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Vltoniae Orientalis Pars" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Vltoniae Orientalis Pars (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated just SE of the summit of a fairly small but prominent drumlin, it is described as ‘Rathcarn’ – fort of the cairn – on the OS 6-inch maps. This is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 62m NNW-SSE; c. 60m ENE-WSW) that slopes down to the S (H c. 1.5m) that is defined by an earthen bank ESE-SSW (at SSE: Wth of base 5m; int. H 0.2m; ext. H 1.4m) that is incorporated into a field bank WNW-E (at NNW: Wth of base 3.5m; int. H 1m; ext. H 1.8m) with an outer drain NW – NE but the perimeter is reduced to a scarp elsewhere. There is no visible fosse but the entrance (Wth of base 2.8m) is at N. There is a lunate annexe attached to the NW, beyond the field bank. This is visible as a level grass-covered area (max. dims c. 65m NE-SW; 18m NNW-SSE) defined by a low scarp (Wth 1m; H 0.35m).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Revised by: Michael Moore
Date of revision: 26 October 2018
Nearby in the register
- Rock artunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Water mill - horizontal-wheeledunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.