Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a natural terrace, on the NW facing slope of hillock. Ringforts (WM018-049----, WM018-048---- and WM018-047----) lie c. 80m to E, c. 150m to SE and c. 130m to SW, respectively. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as an oval-shaped enclosure intersected at SW by townland boundary, with limekiln incorporated into bank at N. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a penannular-shaped earthwork truncated at SW quadrant by a trackway and townland boundary. A circular-shaped earthwork is depicted on an estate map of Rathconrath dating from 1776 (NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (026) ).
Monument described in 1970 as a small sub-rectangular shaped area (approx. dims. 32m NW-SE; c. 28m NE-SW) enclosed by a bank which is reduced to a scarp in places. The bank is best preserved from W-NW, is reduced to a scarp from N-NE and is well preserved from NE-E-ESE. The bank has been modified from S-SW-WSW to form part of a modern stone-faced field boundary running NW-SE. There are three large stones standing on the inner edge of the bank at SE. There is a modern stone-facing at the foot of the scarp/bank from N-E-ESE and there is a modern stone wall outside the scarp from W-N. There is a gap (Wth at top 5.9m; basal Wth 1.9m) in the bank at S and a second gap (Wth at top 4m; basal Wth 2.2m) at WSW. The E side of the S gap has a small portion of modern wall. The original entrance is not recognisable. The interior has a general NE-facing slope and has traces of cultivation ridges NW-SE. Monument is visible as a tree-planted earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography.

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

Date of upload: 04 February 2019

References

NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (26) - National Library of Ireland, A map of lands at Ballinbeg Rathconrath and Simonstown... in the barony of Rathconrath and County of Westmeath. Names of tenants and acreage of holdings shown. Longfield Map Collection. Dublin.