Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Rath (dundlak Lwr By; Carlingford Par.)

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Circular area (int. diam. c. 33m) enclosed by two degraded banks with intervening fosse. Inner bank (Wth 9m, H 1m internally, 4m externally) now reduced to a scarp in places. Fosse (Wth 4m) and earth and stone outer bank (Wth 4m, H 0.7m internally, 1m externally) except on the W side where the slope of the ridge is very steep. Ancient entrance gap in both banks with causeway at E. Sub-rectangular annexe (int. dims 29m E-W, 26m N-S) adjoining outer bank at NNE enclosed by an earth and stone bank (Wth 2.8m, H 0.7m internally, 0.8m externally). Possibly the site referred to as 'two circles' by Isaac Butler in his journal of 1744 (CLAJ 1922, 102).