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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - rath

Clonee Lower, County Wexford, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - rath, Clonee Lower, County Wexford, 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
Clonee Lower
County
Wexford
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured
Coordinates
52.62021, -6.48387
SMR number
WX010-020----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1799 map "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1799 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1904 · Sheet 14, 1904 (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
  • 1911 · Sheet 14, 1911 (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a slight S-facing slope. In describing the boundaries of Clonee townland in the course of a land dispute in 1561 before four O’Doran brehons of the Ballyorley school (WX021-022004-) including Domhnall O’Doran and Gillaphadraig O’Deoráin, a raheen known as Ráithín Thomseáin (Thomas’ Rath) is listed (Binchy 1978, 1016, translated by Brian Ó Cléirig), which is probably this rath.

The rath is marked as a circular enclosure (diam. c. 50m) on the 1839 and 1925 editions of the OS 6-inch map, being bisected by a NE-SW field bank on the later map. It was removed c. 1970 but is described locally as an enclosure with a circular bank. It is not visible at ground level in pasture. Archaeological testing (91E0030) in January 1991 in the NW part produced evidence of a fosse (Wth 2.6m; D 0.6m) that was filled largely with modern debris (Bennett 1992). Further archaeological testing (19E0610) outside the area of the monument immediately to the E and S failed to produce any related material (McLoughlin 2019; excavations.ie 2019:285).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 11 April, 2012
Amended: 9 November 2020, 25 April 2023

Binchy, D. A. (ed.) 1978 Corpus Iruis Hibernici: ad fidem codicum manuscriptorum. Dublin, Institute for Advanced Studies

References

Bennett, I. 1992 Clonee Lower. Site of enclosure. In in Bennett, I. (ed.) Excavations 1991: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 47. Wordwell, Bray.

McLoughlin, C 2019 Archaeological Assessment Report, Clonee Lower, Co. Wexford. Licence: 19E0610. Unpublished report, Stafford McLoughlin

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 Wexford All County Wexford records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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