Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In undulating pasture, straddling a break of slope on the E side of a low ridge. Indicated on the 1838 OS 6-inch map as a embanked circular area and on the 1914 OS 6-inch map as a subrectangular enclosure defined on the E side by a field boundary. Now evident as a slightly raised subrectangular area (57.9m N-S; 71m E-W) defined on the E side by a drain (Wth 1.5m) and field boundary (Wth 1.2m), on the linear S side by a steep scarp (H 1.7m), by the gently curving remains of an earthen bank (Wth 2.1m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.95m) SW-W and at NW by a short section of linear bank (Wth 2.8m; int. H 0.7m; ext. H 1.1m) at the E end of the N side. An external fosse is evident along the S arc (Wth 3.5m; D 0.9m), for short section at E (Wth 4.3m) and as band of irises (Wth 4.5m) NW-N; a quarry pit has been dug into the line of the fosse at SW. Gaps in bank occur at NE (Wth 3m) and NNW (Wth 4m). The W half of the interior is level while the E half slopes steeply down to E; the ground level in the E half is c. 3m lower than the W half. The following features were noted in the W half of the interior: a hut site (SL025-107002-) in the NW quadrant, a linear sod-covered mound of earth and stone (5.5m E-W; 1.6m N-S; H 0.6m) W of the centre and a similar parallel mound (8m E-W; 4m N-S; H 0.5m) c. 20m to S.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008