What is recorded here

Rathaleen is a circular earth and stone fort on an eastern slope in County Limerick, large enough to hold a small village yet narrow enough that every shadow crosses the middle. Its broken western wall marks where an underground passage collapsed into the ring, suggesting the fort was never merely a boundary but a threshold between ordinary land and hidden road. Cows still walk the pasture above it, unaware that they graze the roof of a place older than memory.

On an elevated area of an E-facing slope, in pasture, with excellent views from N-E-S-SW and moderate views elsewhere. Annotated ‘Rathaleen’ and depicted on the 1897 ed. OS 25-inch map as a circular-shaped enclosure. Surveyed by the ASI in 2008 and described as a circular-shaped area (diam. 25m) enclosed by an earth and stone bank (Wth 7.6m; int. H 0.6m; ext. H 1.25m) with entrance gap (overall Wth 6m; base Wth 2.8m) at E. A collapse section of roof from a Man-made underground passage (LI024-302----) cuts into the interior of the bank at W. Monument is visible as a circular-shaped earthwork on Google Earth orthoimages taken 18/11/2018. See attached plan and cross-sections surveyed and drawn by the ASI. See attached Google Earth orthoimage Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 19 July 2020

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.