What is recorded here

Rathard is a ruined ringfort in Limerick pasture, marked on maps since 1840 and still holding a water-filled ditch. The earth has not forgotten the shape of the fort, even when people stopped naming every part of it.

In reclaimed pasture, 55m E of townland boundary with Kilmihil. An earthwork (LI048-047----) lies 80m to the NE. Annotated ‘Rathard’ on the historic OSi maps. Depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map as a raised circular-shaped area defined by a scarp. Shown on the 1897 OSi 25-inch map as a raised sub-circular shaped area (diam. c. 26m) defined by a scarp and external fosse from S-WSW; W-N-NE, with gap at NE. In 1840 the Ordnance Survey described this monument as ‘in the W of the townland there is a small fort’ (OSNB Abbeyfeale to Bruree, 147). Partially overgrown monument visible, with waterfilled fosse or moat from E-S and intersected at S by linear cropmark of an old water channel running roughly N-S on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages. See attached Google Earth orthoimages. Compiled by: Fiona Rooney Date of upload: 17 August 2021

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