What is recorded here

Rathbeg is a small earthen ringfort on a Mayo rise, overlooking Killala Bay and named on maps since 1838. Its slumped bank, steep scarp and attached terrace suggest people shaped the land before forgetting the name of the tool. Four other raths within three hundred metres imply a neighbourhood rather than a lone marker, perhaps a cluster of homes, farms or claims along the coast. The bay still enters the story, giving light, danger and witness to what the earth has half buried.

In pasture, located on a rise, in gently undulating coastal terrain, overlooking an inlet in Killala Bay c. 150m to E. This rath is named ‘Rathbeg’ on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch map. It consists of a raised, roughly circular area (21m NW–SE; 20.5m NE–SW) defined at NE–E by remnants of a broadly slumped bank (Wth 5.6m; int. H 0.3m; ext. 1.45m) and elsewhere by an earthen scarp (H 1.2m at S; 0.5m at W), which is almost vertical and faced with stone at S–SW, and at W-N is very low and degraded. There is low section/break (Wth c. 3m) at S, but is unclear if this represents an original entrance. A field fence/property boundary, on NE–SW axis, bisects the interior to W of centre. Appended to the S–SW end of the rath is a semi-circular terrace (17m NW–SE; 12.6m NE–SW), which is at a level c. 1m lower than the rath interior. It is defined at E–SW by a scarp, and is bordered at W by the field fence that bisects the rath. There is a rath (MA015-050----) 130m to NNE and another rath (MA015-051----) 100m to ENE. Two other raths (MA015-053----; MA015-054----) are visible c. 300m to SE. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 6 December 2018

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