Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Marked as an oval quarry (dims c. 30m N-S; c. 20m E-W) on the 1839 Ed. of the OS 6 inch map. It is located towards the top of a slight E-facing slope and on the N side of a NE-SW road. It is marked on the 1925 Ed. as a D-shaped area (dims c. 40m NW-SE; c. 30m NE-SW) extending to the S side of the road and defined by a wide fosse or quarry SW-N-NE on the 1925 Ed. of the map. It is known locally to have been a rath defined by earthen banks on the N side of the road. There is a quarry on the N side of the road but a slight scarp of a bank (H 0.2-0.4m) defines the perimeter of a ringfort SE-SW.
Archaeological testing (15E0339) of an extensive area (dims c. 90-120m NNW-SSE; c. 70-90m ENE-WSW) SE of the rath produced evidence of an outer bank or fosse of the rath at SE. There were also at least five gullies, some of which yielded sherds of medieval pottery, which related to the medieval management of the land. Some furrows relating to the gullies were also recorded and at one point a large deposit (dims c. 5m x c. 4m) containing a wealth of medieval ceramics, either the top of a pit or a fosse, was identified. All features will be preserved in situ, including a furnace bottom (WX041-069----) and an adjacent pit, beneath a protective layer where necessary or fully excavated when the house development proceeds. (McLoughlin 2015)

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 revision: 21 December, 2016

References

McLoughlin, C. 2015 Archaeological Assessment Report, Harristown, Co. Wexford. Licence No. 15E0339. Unpublished report: Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology