Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

On a flat-topped E-W ridge in undulating terrain surrounded by pasture. Derrygarth church (TS082-014----) and graveyard (TS082-014001-) visible c. 100m to the S. According to Power (1908, 30) 'a tall and slender pillar stone', possibly a standing stone (TS076-050002-), now missing, stood 'Not many yards from the outer rampart of the lios', near the NE corner of the field. Trivallate ringfort (int. diam. c. 28m; overall diam. c. 70m based on 1904-05 ed. OS 6-inch map), enclosed by an flattened inner bank (Wth 4m crest, 0.2m base; int. H 2.25m; ext. H 3.25m); wide, flat-bottomed fosse (Wth 2.2m; D 1.8m); middle bank with rounded profile (Wth 2m crest, 4.4m base; ext. H 1.95m); wide, flat-bottomed fosse (Wth 3m; D 1.5m) and outer bank with rounded profile (Wth 1.8m crest, 4.1m base; ext. H 1.1m), though the outermost bank has been reduced to scarp in the W sector. Banks are earthen with some stone protruding from the inner bank. Fosse quite water-logged in the N-NE sector. The ground is very disturbed in the interior and the inner bank has been levelled from SE-NE-N. In the NNE sector there are small heaps of earth caused by badgers. The interior and most of the banks are heavily overgrown with nettles and brambles. There is no well-defined entrance though there is a slight causeway across the inner fosse at the SE sector.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 21 January 2014

References

Power, P. 1908 Placenames of the Decies. Journal of the Waterford and Southeast of Ireland Archaeological Society 11, 1-34, 45-78, 135-43 and 179-210.