Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low natural ridge running NW-SE, in low-lying, wet pasture, on the ENE-side of a stream with extensive views in all directions. Visible as a roughly D-shaped area covered in scrub on Digital Globe aerial photography. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a semi-circular-shaped area intersected by a stream serving as a townland boundary from S-W-WNW. It appears that the stream served as the original enclosing element as there is no visible remains of any enclosing element to W of stream. The semi-circular nature of the enclosing element suggests that this monument is similar to cliff-edge forts which use a natural feature as a partial enclosing element. The partial medieval ringwork (WX037-028002-) at Ferrycarrig, Co. Wexford is similar in morphology. On the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch the monument is shown as a roughly oval-shaped area of similar dimensions with a later field boundary running NE-SW across the NW-quadrant.
Monument described in 1980 as an almost D-shaped area (71m NW-SE; 47m NE-SW) with straight side at W (L 62m) enclosed by an earth and stone bank, with deep U-shaped fosse and a low outer bank visible from NW-N-E-SSE, with possible entrance gap (Wth 4m) at NNE. The substantial inner bank is best preserved from NW-N-E-S, it is much lower and slighter from S-W-NW, where it abuts the stream. Both the enclosing banks have the remains of internal and external stone facing. A deep modern drain running NE-SW directly abuts the monument at S where it joins a stream running N-S forming a deep channel that intersects the external face of the inner bank from SSW-W-NW. The interior rises irregularly from the perimeter towards the centre. There is a lot of stone visible on the surface which appears to be natural bedrock and a scatter of loose stone. A modern field wall running NE-SW traverses the NW quadrant. Local folklore collected in 1938 at Irishtown National School recorded that there was a possible souterrain (WM017-044001-) inside the ringfort described as a ‘cave’ accessed by an opening in a rock called ‘Cathair na Súl’ (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0742, Page 162).

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

Date of upload: 07 December 2018