Ringfort, Corduff, Co. Dublin

Co. Dublin |

Ringforts

Ringfort, Corduff, Co. Dublin

Somewhere between two suburban playing pitches in Corduff, on the north-western edge of Dublin, there is a circular earthen mound that has been quietly accumulating history for well over a thousand years.

It measures roughly 42 metres in diameter and rises to about 3 metres, its top edge defined by a ring of large boulders and the roots of long-established trees. Most people using the adjacent pathway probably take it for a landscaping feature, or ignore it altogether.

The mound is most likely a platform ringfort, a type of early medieval enclosure in which the interior ground was deliberately raised above the surrounding terrain, rather than defended by a surrounding ditch or bank. Ringforts in general were the most common settlement form in early medieval Ireland, typically dating from roughly the fifth to the twelfth centuries, and served as farmsteads for families of some local standing. This particular example was already considered significant enough to be marked simply as "fort" on the Ordnance Survey's six-inch map of 1837, which suggests it was a recognisable feature in the landscape even then. For much of the intervening period, the site sat within the wooded grounds of Corduff House, its tree cover both obscuring and, in a sense, preserving it. The record was compiled by Geraldine Stout and updated by Christine Baker, with details uploaded in January 2015.

The mound now sits within a public green space, flanked by playing pitches and accessible via a pathway, which makes it easy enough to find but has not been entirely kind to it. The southwest quadrant shows some erosion and denuding of the earthwork, and the site has attracted anti-social behaviour, which has left its own marks. The surviving boulders along the upper rim are worth examining, as is the way the old trees grip the edges of the platform. The structure is subtle rather than dramatic, and it rewards a slow circuit more than a glance from the path.

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 Ringfort, Corduff, Co. Dublin. 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