Enclosure in Rathclarish

On a flat ledge on an otherwise steep NE-facing slope, in hilly terrain, under tillage. It is indicated on the 2nd (1906) ed. OS 6-inch map as a sub-rectangular enclosure (diam. c. 35-40m) with a field boundary running NW-SE along the SW sector and another running SW-NE along the N sector. The enclosure has been levelled and is not visible at ground level, however, the NW-SE field boundary survives as an earth and stone bank (Wth c. 1.7m; H 0.95m) heavily overgrown with brambles and fern. In the Fogarty Manuscript (1851) in the National Folklore Collection there is an illustration of a boulder with rock art [KK079-052----] which was, ‘dug out of a motte or forth on the NW side of the pass of Rathclarish about 200 yards [c. 180m] distant from the latter rath’. It is not clear, but the ‘motte or forth’, may refer to ‘Rathclarish’ ringfort (TS079-011----) or this enclosure which is located in the NW portion of the townland. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 21 March 2023