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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Farthingstown (Rathconrath By.), County Westmeath, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - rath, Farthingstown, County Westmeath, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Farthingstown (Rathconrath By.)
County
Westmeath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Hachured
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured
Coordinates
53.52040, -7.54731
SMR number
WM017-102----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a natural rise in undulating pasture with extensive views to N, E and W, which are inhibited to ESE, where overlooked by a steep hill. Depicted as a substantial roughly circular-shaped earthwork on the 1837 OS 6-inch map. Depicted as a modified, slightly irregular or oval-shaped earthwork on the revised 1913 OS 25-inch map.
Described in 1983 as a bivallate ringfort consisting of an oval-shaped area (dims. 45m NE-SW; 33.5m NNW-SSE) enclosed by a bank, intervening fosse and a low outer bank. A gap (Wth 3.2m) in the inner bank at SE may represent an entrance. This is defined by large stones set on edge which could be the remains of a stone revetment. The low, narrow inner bank is of earth and stone and has largely been reduced to a scarp N-E-S-SW. It has the remains of an internal stone facing from NNE-E where it has the appearance of a wall footing. The narrow, shallow fosse and remains of a low outer bank only survive for a short stretch from SSW-SW-W and at E. The fosse and outer bank are replaced by a narrow berm-like feature from SSE-S-SSW. A modern field fence running NE-SW truncates the fosse and outer bank from NW-N-NNE. The interior is uneven and rises irregularly from the perimeter towards the centre. The remains of a possible house site (WM017-102001-) is visible in SW quadrant. There is a large disturbance depression just outside the perimeter at NW. Monument is visible as an oval-shaped tree-lined earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography. A large pond lies c. 10m to SE.

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

Date of upload: 09 January 2019

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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