Rathpharson, Ballynacloghy, Co. Galway

Co. Galway |

Ringforts

Rathpharson, Ballynacloghy, Co. Galway

Within the enclosed interior of this well-preserved earthwork in County Galway, local knowledge points to two features that elevate it well beyond a simple field monument: a children's burial ground and a possible souterrain.

The combination is quietly arresting. Raths, roughly circular enclosures defined by an earthen bank and an outer ditch known as a fosse, were typically built during the early medieval period as farmstead enclosures. Finding one that later served as a burial site for unbaptised infants, as was common with such grounds, adds a layer of social and spiritual history that earthworks seldom carry so plainly.

The rath itself sits in grassland with views west over Lackanaloy Creek, a modest but meaningful orientation. It measures approximately 28 metres east to west and 22.5 metres north to south, making it a reasonably substantial enclosure. The defining bank survives well, and the fosse remains visible along the eastern, southern, and south-western arcs of the circuit. A gap roughly 3.6 metres wide at the north-east may represent the original entrance, the point through which people and livestock would have passed in and out of whatever household once stood here. Beneath the surface, the possible souterrain, an underground passage or chamber, also associated with early medieval settlements and sometimes used for storage or refuge, has yet to be formally confirmed, but its reported presence within the interior makes this a site of layered, overlapping use across many centuries.

The rath stands in open grassland, and the bank and fosse are legible from the eastern and southern approaches. The children's burial ground within the interior, known in Irish tradition as a cillín, would have served families for whom church burial was unavailable or refused, and such sites were often maintained quietly by local communities long after their original purpose had passed.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Rathpharson, Ballynacloghy, Co. Galway. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement