Enclosure in Rathmore (caher Par.)

On slopes of a natural ridge running N-S along W edge of enclosure. There are subtle undulations in field. A ringfort (TS076-048----) 'Rathmore' is located c. 300m to S on crest of hill. According to Power (1908, 28) the '"Great Rath" The name-giving Rath is not that noted on the Ordnance Map and still surviving, but another, the site of which is traceable by north side of main road'. This would appear to be a large sub-rectangular enclosure (diam. c. 100m N-S; c. 50m E-W) which has been identified as a cropmark at this location on an aerial photograph (ASIAP (31) 15;(32) 3-7). The enclosure was bivallate, with an inner and outer fosse visible. The enclosure appears to have been widened at some point with the outer fosse being extended in the NE quadrant. The enclosure has a substantial conjoined enclosure (TS076-070001-) to the E and two smaller conjoined enclosures (TS076-070002-; TS076-070003-) to the SE. The larger conjoined enclosure (TS076-070001-) may be an annexe or may have existed prior to and been partially destroyed by the construction of the sub-rectangular enclosure. Field levelled c. 10 years ago and according to landowner the soil in this area is very black, quite different from the surrounding soil, concentrated where the irregular enclosure was located. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011