Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated near the top of a rise, in gently undulating pasture, with good views in all directions. Ringfort (WM025-082----) lies c. 12m to W and a souterrain (WM025-151----) lies c. 40m to SW which was uncovered during roadworks (Glasscock 1974, 230). Monument described in 1971 as a roughly circular-shaped area (dims. 23-28m) enclosed by an earth and stone bank visible from S-W-N-E-SE and reduced to a scarp from SE-S. There are slight remains of external stone facing and traces of internal stone facing (max. H 0.5m) at E. Two The bank has several very small disturbance gaps. Old field banks intersect the outer face of the bank at SSE and SSW. The perimeter has been disturbed at WNW where it is overlain by part of a field bank which extends NW from the site and conjoins it to the fosse of a nearby ringfort (WM025-082----). There is no visible trace of an external fosse and the entrance is not recognisable. The interior has a slight ESE-facing slope and is raised (approx. H 1m) above the external ground level. In the centre is a house site (WM025-083001-) and a second house site is visible adjoining to N. Monument is visible as a roughly oval-shaped earthwork on oblique aerial photographs (CUCAP AJQ089/AOY101/102/BDK028) taken 09/07/1964, 12/07/1966 and 14/07/1970 respectively.

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: 12 September 2019

References

Glasscock, R.E. 1974 Two Raths in Coyne. Journal of the Old Athlone Society 4, 230-1.

CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com