Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, straddling a break of slope at the NE end of a drumlin ridge overlooking a damp, boggy valley. A raised roughly circular area (diam. 43.2m x 40.4m) enclosed by a substantial earthen bank (Wth 4.5m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H 1.9m) with a pronounced external face but a rather dilapidated and slumped internal face. The bank is primarily earthen but stones protrude randomly in places. A rough external facing of stone evident N-NE is the result of the incorporation of the bank into a field boundary. The bank is thickly ringed with hazel, blackthorn and brambles. A depression (Wth c. 4m) outside the bank W-NW is defined by a gentle natural rise in ground level and may indicate an external fosse. Outside the bank to E there appears to be a slight terrace (Wth c. 4m) but it is difficult to trace due to dense overgrowth. The W half of the interior is slightly higher than the E half with a slight slope down from the centre to N, E and SE, levelling out 4-6m from the inner face of the bank. This reflects the natural slope of the ridge and gives the effect of a shallow fosse-like depression just inside the bank N-SE. The interior is grassy and relatively clear of overgrowth. There are badger sets in the S half of the interior. Another rath (SL044-049----) lies c. 50m 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