Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Griffinstown, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Griffinstown
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.46716, -7.14134
- SMR number
- WM027-063----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on a gentle SE-facing slope near the summit of a hill, in pasture, with good views to NE, SE and SW. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as a large suboval-shaped earthwork. Monument described in 1971 as a very large, D-shaped area (dims. 57.5m NNE-SSW; approx. 75m WNW-ESE) enclosed by a substantial earthen bank, an intervening fosse with traces of an outer bank. The inner bank is very high and steep and has several disturbance gaps and a large portion has been quarried away at SSE. The intervening fosse is wide, deep and steep-sided. There is a very slight and fragmentary earthen outer bank visible from NE-E-SE. The original entrance is not recognisable, although there is a gap (Wth at top 6.1m; basal Wth 1.6m) at NNE and a wide gap (Wth at top 9m; basal Wth 4.2m) at S which may be indicative, although there is no visible trace of a causeway at either location. The interior has a sharp SE-facing slope. Monument is visible today as a large oval-shaped tree-lined earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography.
Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien.
Date of upload: 06 November 2019
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.