Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Monkstown, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Monkstown
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Partially hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.59812, -7.26417
- SMR number
- WM012-077----
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 W facing slope of hill in grassland with extensive views from S-W-N. Motte and bailey (WM012-079----) 140m to NE, Taghmon church (WM012-076----) and castle (WM012-074----) 330m and 460m to the NNW respectively. Depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as a broad circular shaped earthwork annotated as ‘fort’. This site now consists of a slightly raised sub-rectangular shaped area (approx. diam. 24m N-S; 21m E-W) enclosed by an earth and stone bank and shallow external fosse with possible entrance gap (Wth 2.3m) at SW. The bank and fosse are only visible from SE-S-NW. A field fence running E-W which is the townland boundary with Taghmon intersects the perimeter of the site at N. A curving field fence which is the townland boundary with Glebe forms the NE perimeter of the monument. A field boundary at NE represents the townland boundary with Glebe. Traces of cultivation ridges are visible running E-W across the interior of the monument. Outline of monument is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1970 (CUCAP BDV079/080).
See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI.
Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 15 February 2018
References
CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com
Nearby in the register
- Castle - motte and baileyunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.