Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - rath
Ballard (moycashel By.), County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballard (moycashel By.)
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Outlined
- Latest-edition OS map
- Outlined
- Coordinates
- 53.36425, -7.56608
- SMR number
- WM037-008----
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 top of a large ridge running E-W, in pasture, with extensive views in all directions. Annotated 'fort' and depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as an irregular-shaped enclosure. Shown on the revised 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map as a roughly oval-shaped tree-lined enclosure (50m NE-SW; 33m NW-SE). Monument described in 1979 as an oval-shaped area enclosed by a low bank of earth and stone. The bank is very sharp and appears relatively modern having probably been constructed when the planting was done. There is no definite trace of an external fosse. A narrow drain-like depression to W appears to be part of an older field system which can be seen in the vicinity. Old cultivation ridges running E-W are visible to S and W. The interior has a N-facing slope and has been used to deposit field clearance stones and for quarrying in the NE quadrant. This monument may originally have been a ringfort which has been modified and planted to form a tree ring in the post-1700 period. Monument is visible today as an oval-shaped tree-planted earthwork on Digital Globe aerial photography.
Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien.
Date of upload: 16 December 2019
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.