Ringfort (Rath), Ballinriddera, Co. Westmeath

Co. Westmeath |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Ballinriddera, Co. Westmeath

On a ridge in County Westmeath, the ground still holds the outline of a life lived inside an earthen circle.

This rath, a type of ringfort consisting of a raised bank and enclosing ditch used as a farmstead during the early medieval period, roughly 500 to 1200 AD, sits on the north-western face of a ridge running south-east to north-west, set into pasture-land that has preserved its form remarkably well. What makes it quietly worth attention is the precision that survives: a sub-circular enclosure measuring approximately 27 metres north-west to south-east and 28 metres north-east to south-west, enclosed by an earthen bank that remains well preserved along the eastern and southern sides, with a wide fosse, or ditch, that runs deepest at the same points.

The eastern side holds the original entrance, a narrow gap of about 1.8 metres across, reached by a causeway spanning the fosse at 4.4 metres wide. That causeway is not incidental; it is a deliberate feature, the single controlled point of access across a ditch designed to make entry on your own terms. Inside, the ground slopes noticeably from south-west to north-east, and in the north-western quadrant of the interior, traces of a hut site are still visible, a reminder that this enclosure was not ceremonial but domestic, someone's yard and home. To the south-south-west, a smaller enclosure once adjoined the site, though that has since been levelled and survives only as a reference in the archaeological record. A modern field fence now cuts across the monument at its western side, the ordinary business of farming intersecting, as it so often does in Ireland, with something considerably older.

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 (Rath), Ballinriddera, Co. Westmeath. 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