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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Ballinlug, County Westmeath, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - rath, Ballinlug, 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
Ballinlug
County
Westmeath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Hachured
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured
Coordinates
53.53156, -7.52795
SMR number
WM018-089001-

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 slight rise, in relatively low-lying pasture, with stream to NW, N and NE, townland boundary immediately to SSW. Enclosure (WM018-089005-) lies immediately to SE. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as an oval-shaped enclosure with square-shaped enclosure (WM018-089005-) immediately to SE . Annotated 'fort' on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a modified penannular-shaped earthwork, which is open to E.
Partially levelled ringfort described in 1970 as the partially levelled remains of an oval-shaped area (approx. dims. 47m NE-SW; 32m NW-SE) enclosed by a substantial bank from SW-W-N-E and levelled from E-S-SW. The bank has several slight disturbance gaps and is denuded to the level of the interior in places. A gap at N and ESE may represent an entrance. There is no visible trace of an external fosse. The interior is divided in two by a gently curving bank of earth and stones running roughly N-S. In the western quadrant are two V-shaped depressions which may represent a souterrain (WM018-089003-). These have low mounds of up-cast beside them. A house site (WM018-089002-) is visible to the immediate W of the possible souterrain. Outline of partially levelled ringfort visible as a roughly oval-shaped earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography.

See attached plan of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI

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

Date of upload: 05 February 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
All Ringfort - rath in Westmeath All County Westmeath records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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