Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise, in gently undulating pasture, with good views except where limited SE-S-SW due to higher ground. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular-shaped bivallate enclosure (dims. 29m N-S; 26.5m E-W) with a structure or house site shown in the centre. A circular-shaped earthwork is depicted on an estate map of Rathconrath dating from 1776 (NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (026) ).
Bivallate ringfort described in 1970-72 as a roughly circular-shaped area (37m NW-SE; 31m NE-SW) enclosed by two substantial banks with intervening fosse. The inner bank is of earth and stone and has internal stone facing. The intervening fosse is wide and deep with a flat base. There are three large boulders in the fosse at SSE. The outer bank is of earth and stone and has evidence of internal and external stone facing. A gap (Wth at top 7m; basal Wth 3m) in the inner bank, a corresponding gap (Wth at top 3.6m; basal Wth 2m) in the outer bank and a causeway over the fosse at E represents the entrance. The outer gap is partly blocked by two large stones. The causeway appears to have been defined either side by a bank of earth and stone. The interior has a gentle ENE-facing slope. A house site (WM018-100001-) and a possible souterrain (WM018-100002-) are located within the SW quadrant. The remains of a linear bank of earth and stone are visible running N-S from the NE corner of the house site which represents an internal division. There are also vague traces of a similar bank running E-W from the NE corner of the house site toward the entrance of the ringfort. Monument visible today as a well preserved bivallate ringfort with house site and entrance feature clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photography.

See attached plan and profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI.

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

Date of upload: 05 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.