Black Rath, fairy fort or earthen ringfort in County Kildare

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What is recorded here

Mid way along a short gentle SW-facing pasture slope. A fairly poorly preserved, heavily poached, circular area (int. diams. 221.m E-W; 21.7m N-S) is defined by a very broad but denuded earthen bank (Wth 8-10m; int. H 0.6-1.1m; ext H over base of outer fosse 1.2m at W-2.3m at N), a fosse (base Wth 2.8m at W-4.2m at E), SE-W-N-E, and by a second, outer bank (Wth 3.2m at S-5.7m at N; ext H 0.3m), SE-W-N-ENE. A gap (Wth 3m) in the inner bank at ENE is probably the original entrance, but there is no visible trace of a corresponding causeway in the heavily poached fosse outside. The interior is covered in strong nettle and thistle growth.

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record KD032-032

Places near here

Photo credits

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Maker not stated on source page, tuscanfoundry.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.ancient-origins.net
Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.alamy.com
Maker not stated on source page, fi.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, synergychemical.in
Maker not stated on source page, www.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, commons.wikimedia.org
Maker not stated on source page, www.interment.net
Sciadopitys from UK, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

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