Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Located just off the summit of a NNW-SSE drumlin ridge on the S side. A circular enclosure is depicted here at Knockreagh Upper on McCrea’s map of County Monaghan (1793), and on the 1834 and 1907 editions of the OS 6-inch map. This is a circular grass-covered area (diam. 37.5m NNW-SSE; 37m ENE-WSW) defined by an earthen bank (at W: Wth c. 4m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H c. 2m) with an external fosse (at W: Wth of base 1.8m; ext. D 0.7m) that is absent NE-SE. Interrupted sections of a second, outer bank (at W: Wth of base 2.4m; ext. H 0.9m) are visible SE-W-NE. There are several gaps in the banks but the original entrance and causeway (Wth of top 3.2m; H 0.6m) is probably that at ESE. The monument had become completely overgrown by 1995 (OSAP).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 27 February 2018

References

McCrea, W. 1793 A map of the county of Monaghan. National Library of Ireland, Manuscripts 16.1.10 (1-4).

OSAP - Ordnance Survey Aerial Photographs. Photographic collection. Ordnance Survey of Ireland. Dublin.