Rathcoultia — Castlehill (tirawley By., Crossmolina. Par.)

In average pasture, located on top of a gravel ridge, with a fall of ground to N and SE, providing fine views over flat, lowlying pasture to N and gently undulating terrain to S–SW. This rath is named ‘Rathcoultia’ on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch maps, where it is depicted as circular; the E half has since been levelled. A property fence on a NNW–SSE axis bisects the rath roughly centrally. The W half of the rath survives as a slightly raised semi-circular area (30m N–S; 17m E–W to fence), defined S–NNW by a sod-covered earthen bank (Wth 2.6m; int. H 0.2-0.4m; ext. H 0.7m at NW). At SW, 2m outside the bank there are remnants of a second bank. This is engulfed in overgrowth, and it is unclear if it is an original external bank or merely the remnants of a later field fence. The interior of the W half is traversed by relict N–S cultivation ridges. To E of the property fence, the rath has been levelled, except for a short arc of enclosing scarp at SE–S, which is preserved in the line of a NE–SW field fence. Hawthorn, blackthorn and brambles grow on the perimeter at S and W. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 13 August 2019