Rathancooleen

In grassland on top of a high rise of ground on SE facing slope with good views in all directions. Overgrown but impressive monument consisting of a raised circular area (int. diam. approx. 40m E-W) enclosed by a high, steep-sided earth and stone bank (base Wth 6m; top Wth 1.8m; ext. H 1-5m; int. H 0.5-1m), fosse (base Wth 2.5m; top Wth 8m; ext. D 1m) and wide flat-topped earth and stone bank (base Wth 7m; top Wth 5m; ext. H 1m; int. H 0.7-1m) with causewayed entrance (Wth 3.5m) at SE. Impressive but overgrown monument making detailed examination impossible. Scooped out interior with gently sloping inner face and steep-sided external face of enclosing bank. Outer face of bank is at its highest at N where it is very defensive and very steep which providing the monument with a very defensive element. The defensive nature of monument would suggest it is a ringwork. Modern road intersects fosse destroying outer bank at E on a N-S axis. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011