Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, at a break of slope just below the summit of Mullaghfarna Hill, with good views of undulating lowlands on the shores of Lough Arrow to E but overlooked to NW by the steep slopes of the Bricklieve Mountains. A roughly circular area (31.8m N-S; 34.5m E-W) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 3m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.95m) with a low internal rim NW-SW and by a scarp (H 0.8m) SW-NW. The remains of an outer earth and stone bank (Wth 3m; int. H 1m; ext. H 0.2m) are evident W-S with a waterlogged intervening fosse (Wth 3m), marked by a dense growth of rushes. At NE, a 14m wide section of the outer bank has been levelled. The NW portion of the interior is slightly raised to compensate for the slope, however, the interior retains a slight slope down to NW. Faint outlines of NE-SW cultivation ridges are evident. The rath overlooks a rectangular enclosure (SL040-033001-) and another rath (SL040-034----) c. 450m and c. 300m to NNW respectively. There is an enclosure (SL040-036----) visible on rising ground c. 450m to WNW.

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