Doontorpa

On slightly elevated land in reclaimed pasture at the lower E end of Rathborney valley and just 11m E of Rathborney R.C. chapel (CL005-030002-). Hachured and named ‘Doontorpa’ on the 1840 and 1916 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. The 25-inch ed. of the OS map indicates an external bank from S-NW, not depicted on the 6-inch eds. From the ‘Book of Ballymote’, Westropp (1901, 278) read that ‘Doontorpa possibly derives its name from a certain Torptha or Torpa, chief of the Corcomroes in about A.D. 750, or his contemporary, a prince of Thomond’. Torpa was reputably ‘son of Cermad, grandson of Dima, who, in A.D. 636, claimed the kingship of Munster from Failbe Flan’ (ibid.). A well preserved but heavily overgrown roughly circular rath (diam. c. 38.5m) defined by a bank (Wth 4.6-7m; int. H 0.7-1.6m; ext. H 1.7-2.3m) and from ESE to WNW - an external fosse (Wth 1.5-1.8m; D 1.1-1.5m). There is an entrance (Wth 1.8m) through the bank to the ESE. Inspection in 1999 did not find any remnant of the outer bank depicted on the 25-inch OS map. A low fieldwall runs around the site from W to E and badgers have burrowed into the bank in several places. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 26 January 2022

A local fairy fort (ringfort/rath); wider significance not recorded.