Ringfort (Rath), Ballymurphy, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Ballymurphy, Co. Cork

In a level field at Ballymurphy in County Cork, a low circular earthwork sits quietly in the pasture, its perimeter barely knee-height above the surrounding ground.

Easy to walk past without a second glance, it is in fact the remains of a rath, the Irish term for a ringfort, the most common type of early medieval settlement in the country. Thousands were built across Ireland between roughly the fifth and twelfth centuries, typically serving as the enclosed farmstead of a single family or local lord, with the bank and ditch providing a modest but meaningful barrier against livestock theft and opportunistic raiding.

This particular example is a neat specimen of the type. The circular enclosure measures thirty-eight metres in diameter, defined by an earthen bank standing about 0.7 metres high and a corresponding external fosse, a ditch, roughly 1.1 metres deep, though the ditch becomes noticeably shallower as it runs from the northwest to the northeast. The interior sits at a slightly elevated level relative to the land outside, a characteristic that results partly from the original construction and partly from centuries of accumulated occupation material settling within the protected space. A gap ten metres wide in the northern arc of the bank is likely the original entrance, the point through which people, animals, and goods would have passed during the site's active life. The interior itself is level, suggesting no obvious traces of internal structures survive above ground, though such features often remain invisible without excavation.

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), Ballymurphy, Co. Cork. 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