Enclosure in Rathnew

Situated on a rise, in undulating pasture, with a low-lying wet area to SE. Depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as a D-shaped earthwork enclosed by a bank, with internal divisions. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a D-shaped area (dims. 40m N-S; 33m E-W) enclosed by a bank. This map also shows the internal subdivisions of a small square-shaped enclosure in the N corner and a long, rectangular-shaped enclosure abutting this to S, with a semi-circular area abutting both features to E. There is a spring well abutting the curvilinear bank of this enclosure to E. It would appear that the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map depicts only the remains of the small square enclosure (dims. 11m ESE-WNW; 7.5m NNE-SSW) which previously occupied the N corner of the larger D-shaped enclosure that is shown on the 1837 OS 6-inch map. Referred to by Macalister as a rectangular-shaped enclosure. Described by the Ordnance Survey as an 'Earthen enclosure with traces of stones through it as if the remains of a building close by it is a well' (OS Memoranda). Natural looking hillock hachured on OS map may only represent the N quadrant of the enclosure depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Levelled monument described in 1971 as no surface remains visible. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 13 August 2019

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