Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Ranaghan, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ranaghan
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured, Fortfield
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.64646, -7.23517
- SMR number
- WM008-049----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on SSE face of a gentle slope in undulating and hilly grass-land, overlooked by hills to the NNW & ESE. Ringfort (WM008-048----) 300m to NW. A sub-circular shaped area (approx. diam. 44m N-S; 46m E-W) enclosed by a substantial earthen bank and a wide deep external fosse. The bank has several disturbance gaps. There is an entrance gap (Wth 3.8m) and causeway (Wth 3.2m; H 0.35m) across the fosse at E. The interior has a general slight slope from NNW-SSE and contains traces of cultivation ridges which run WNW-ESE. At the centre of the interior is a circular earthen mound (diam. 5.8m; H 0.4m) of unknown significance. This small mound could be the remains of a small barrow and is clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011. This earthwork is located in the same general area as 'Rinechan Castle' *WM008-076----) depicted on the 1657 Down Survey map of Fore barony and St. Feighin's parish (NLI MS 723-4). It is possible that the mound inside the ringfort could mark the site of the levelled castle of Ranaghan.
Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 20 April 2017
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Moated siteunder 1 mi
- Road - unclassified togherunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.