Lisnaraha

Encompassing a hummock in pastureland; formerly part of Belview Demesne. Indicated on the 1838 edition of the OS 6-inch map as an enclosed large subcircular mixed tree plantation (c. 94m N-S; c. 92m E-W)named 'Lisnaraha'. On the 1946 revision of the map the trees have been removed and a roughly circular enclosure (diam. c. 40m) is visible within a larger enclosure (diam. c. 93m). The central enclosure (35m N-S; 27m E-W) is defined by a denuded scarp (H 1.4-1.65m). The interior had been levelled off. Four wide cultivation ridges, set 1m apart, are visible in its N sector and there are three structures (GA100-037001-, GA100-037002- and GA100-037003-) in the centre. There is an approximate gap of 20m between the inner and outer enclosure. The latter is defined by a bank (Wth 0.75-3.5m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1.5m), which is visible all round and planted with mature beech trees, and a fosse (Wth 1.6-2m; D 0.4m), which survives from NE through S to W and from NW to N. Traces of a possible outer bank, defined by very low wide stony bank, are visible from SE to SSE and from S to WSW. There is a stone-lined entrance gap (Wth 1.7m) at N. The inner enclosure appears to be the remains of a rath. The outer enclosure appears to be a later feature and may relate to the 19th-century landscaping of the demesne. Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG Date of upload: 26 August 2019

Lisnaraha (or Lissareaghaun) is a likely early-medieval ringfort, indicated on the 1838 Ordnance Survey map as an enclosed subcircular plantation, situated in what was once the Belview Demesne. While specific folklore is not recorded, its name, derived from Irish *Lios na Rátha* ("Fort of the Ring"), suggests a traditional association with fairy lore or prehistoric settlement.