Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Ballard (rathconrath By.), County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballard (rathconrath By.)
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.52228, -7.56634
- SMR number
- WM017-076----
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 a prominent ridge, in pasture with good views to N, W & S and overlooked by slightly higher ground to E. Depicted on the 1837 OS 6-inch map and revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a roughly circular-shaped enclosure. Described in 1980 as a roughly circular-shaped area (29.5m NW-SE; 27m NE-SW) defined by a steep scarp with the remains of an inner bank, an intervening fosse and the remains of a low outer bank with causewayed entrance gap (Wth 3m) at SE. The inner bank of earth and stone is very low and faint and is almost reduced to a scarp in places. It is set back from the edge of the scarp from N-E-ESE leaving a narrow berm (Wth 3m). There are remains of an internal stone facing from SSE-S-SSW. The intervening fosse is well preserved being wide and deep. The outer bank of earth and stone retains traces of an internal and external stone facing in places and has a number of disturbance gaps. There are the remains of a stone-faced entrance gap in the inner bank, a causeway (Wth 3.5m; H 0.7m) across the fosse and a corresponding gap (Wth 5.5m) in the outer bank at SE. The interior is uneven, rising toward the centre from the SE and S. Monument visible today as a roughly circular-shaped tree-lined enclosure on Digital Globe aerial photography.
Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien
Date of upload: 20 December 2018
Nearby in the register
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.