Barrow - bowl-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a NW-SE ridge and now largely in mixed woodland which has preserved the earthworks. This feature consists of a flat-topped earthen mound (diam. of top c. 5m; diam. of base 20m NE-SW: H 3.8m) defined by ditch or fosse (Wth of top 4-5m; ext. D 0.6m at SE to 1.4m at NW). This barrow is within the innermost fosse defining the large ceremonial enclosure (ME017-033----) at NE.
The barrow has been described as a motte and the enclosure as a bailey (Moore 1987, 159), because of its proximity to Donaghpatrick church (ME017-034006-) c. 100m to the S but it is a much more ancient earthwork (Westropp 1904, 327-8; Herity 1993, 142-3), and has no medieval associations. Rath Airthir is recorded in the annals from AD 784 when relics of St Patrick were abused during the Aonach Tailtiu, or Tailtean meeting (AFM). The triple ramparts of Rath Airthir are recorded in the Dinshenchas, and it was probably the location for the Royal assembly at Tailtiu (Herity 1993, 142-3). The enclosure with its internal barrow in the midst of a royal landscape is best compared with ceremonial enclosures such as Rathra, Co. Roscommon (RO027-012001-).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 21 July, 2016

References

AFM - Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters from the earliest period to the year 1616, ed. and trans. John O'Donovan (7 vols., Dublin, 1851; reprint New York, 1966)

Moore, M. 1987 Archaeological inventory of county Meath. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Westropp, T.J. 1904 On Irish motes and early Norman castles. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 34, 313-43.

Herity, M. 1993 Motes and Mounds at Royal Sites in Ireland: Raith Airthir, Meath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 23, 127-51.