Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight natural rise, in a generally level paddock, surrounded by gently undulating pasture, c. 30m NNE of Rathcastle house. Possible souterrain (WM017-031001-) depicted as a cave located immediately to W. Annotated 'Fort' and depicted as a circular-shaped earthwork in the area known as 'Rathcaslin' on an estate map dating from 1809 (NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (019) ). Ringfort visible as a roughly circular-shaped tree-planted area on Digital Globe aerial photography. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular-shaped tree-planted area, with a building shown to the immediate NE, in a small rectangular plot. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a circular-shaped area (approx. dims. 38m NE-SW; 36m NW-SE) defined by a scarp with a small rectangular area named ‘cave’ indicated outside the monument to W and a rectangular building to the immediate NE, all enclosed within a rectangular plot adjoining Rathcastle house to SW.
Monument described in 1965 as a large, imposing earthen ringfort consisting of a circular-shaped area enclosed by a tree-lined earthen bank (int. H 3’ [0.9m]; ext. H 6’ [1.8m]; Wth at top c. 5’ [1.5m]) with possible entrance gap at SE. There is no clear indication of an external fosse which may have been backfilled as part of landscaping associated with Rathcastle House. The interior is densely overgrown with vegetation and has been used as a rubbish dump. Monument described in 1975 as a much disturbed subcircular-shaped area defined by a substantial earthen bank with internal stone facing. The bank has several modern gaps and the original entrance is not recognisable. The wide, shallow remains of a fosse are visible. The interior is much disturbed by excavations and redepositing of earth and other material. The ringfort is located adjacent to Rathcastle House.
This 19th century house was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a; 'Detached three-bay two-storey over a basement house, built c.1815. This house was the residence of a T. Banon, Esq., in 1837' (www.buildngsofireland.ie; Reg. No. 15401716).

Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 03 December 2018

References

NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (019) - National Library of Ireland, A map of Rathcastle and Rowlandstown in the barony of Rathconrath and County Westmeath the estate of Thomas Bannon. Surveyed by J.L. 1809. Longfield Map Collection, Dublin.