Rathaniska, hachured

In deciduous woodland, 20m to E of a stream, which marks the townland boundary with Ballynaclogh. Annotated ‘Rathaniska’ and depicted on the 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map as an oval-shaped earthwork (O'Dwyer 1959, 98). Surveyed by the ASI in 2008 and described as a circular-shaped area (diam. 24m) enclosed by a bank (int. H 0.45-0.55m; ext. H 1.35-1.4m; Wth 5.5-5.75m) from WSW-N-E-S-SSE and reduced to scarp (H 0.95m) elsewhere with possible external fosse (Wth 4.85m; D 0.5m) visible from WNW-NW only. The bank is interrupted by a pond (dims. c. 6m E-W; c. 5m N-S) from SSE-S-SSW. AThe interior is generally level and is planted with deciduous trees. Linear mounds (Wth 0.8m; H 0.1m) which cross the interior (long-axis NNW-SSE) seem to be related to tree planting. Monument is visible as a tree-planted area on Digital Globe orthophotos taken 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages taken 28/06/2018. See attached plan and cross-sections surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 15 July 2020

Rathaniska is a hachured ringfort, likely dating to the early medieval period, situated in a woodland setting near a stream boundary. It appears on the 1840 edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map as an oval-shaped earthwork, though no specific folklore or historical events are recorded in association with the site.