Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

On a N-S ridge in an area of undulating countryside. Large circular area (diam 60m E-W; 65m N-S) enclosed by a poorly preserved earthen bank (int. H. 0.2m Wth 1m); fosse (Wth 1.5m; int. D 1.7m; ext. D 0.2m) with slight traces of an external bank (Wth 2m) which is only visible at S and W. The site has been planted with trees and a dry stone wall has been built against the outer face of the ringforts bank with a modern gate pillar erected in the E sector. The interior of the site slopes from E to W.

Monitoring was carried out under licence no. 02E0584 during the excavation of foundation trenches for an extension at the rear of a house at Ballina, Ballycumber, Co. Offaly. The site is near a ringfort. The dwelling, a Georgian house, previously functioned as Ballina Rectory and is now a farmhouse. Examination of the first-edition OS 6-inch map (1841) showed that the ringfort was cultivated as a garden associated with the house. The extension was being constructed on what had been a concrete yard behind the house. The yard was at the same level as the basement of the house and was therefore much lower than the ground in the rest of the site. The extension was being built to the north and north-west of the house, on both the lowered and the original ground levels. No archaeological remains were uncovered during the excavation works.
Áine Richardson, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, Unit 2F, Dungarvan Business Park, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011