Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Rathmeel

Located on rise in undulating pasture. An area of poorly drained ground lies to NE-E. A farmyard lies immediately to NW. This rath is enclosed by three banks with intervening fosses. It consists of a slightly raised circular area (37.6m E-W; 39.6m N-S) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 5.3m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 2.9m), and enclosed by a flat-bottomed fosse (Wth 4m) with external bank (Wth 6.9m; int. H 1.8m; ext. H 1.6m). Remnants of the second fosse (Wth 2.4m) with its outer bank (Wth 3.5m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 1.2m) survive in an arc at SW−NW, but have been levelled elsewhere. A poorly defined gap (Wth 1.4m) in the innermost bank at the E may indicate the site of the original entrance. The interior is level. Two areas of surface collapse in the W half of the interior mark the location a souterrain (MA030-041001-) of dry-stone construction. A slight, narrow stony rise (Wth 0.6-0.8m) traverses the W half of the interior on a roughly N-S axis, probably the remains of a field fence. An accumulation of field clearance stones tops the innermost bank. At SE−SW the second bank is incorporated into a later field fence, and has been faced with stone in parts. The banks are ringed with hawthorn and brambles. At NW-N a silage pit truncates the outer banks and fosse. There is another multivallate rath (MA030-043----) 200m to N, and a standing stone (MA030-044----) c. 350m to ESE, both visible from this rath. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 16 April 2018