Ringfort (Rath), Cathaganstown, Co. Tipperary

Co. Tipperary |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Cathaganstown, Co. Tipperary

On the northern edge of a ravine in the uplands of County Tipperary, a roughly circular earthwork sits on a south-facing slope, using the natural drop of the land as part of its own defences.

This is a rath, the most common type of early medieval enclosed settlement in Ireland, typically consisting of a raised interior platform surrounded by one or more earthen banks and ditches. What makes this particular example worth attention is the way its builders read the landscape: where a man-made fosse, a defensive ditch, runs around the western, northern, and eastern sides, the ravine itself takes over on the remaining sides, doing the work of an additional barrier without any labour at all.

The monument survives in good condition. The enclosing bank measures roughly 31 metres north to south and 33 metres east to west, with a base width of around 4.5 metres and an external height ranging between one and two metres. The fosse outside it, where it remains traceable, reaches about four metres across at the top. A possible entrance survives at the north-west, roughly four metres wide, which would have been the controlled point of access into the enclosed interior. A second enclosure lies approximately 150 metres to the east, suggesting this was not an isolated farmstead but part of a wider pattern of early settlement activity across the same upland ground. The views from the site extend in all directions, a quality that would have mattered to anyone choosing where to live and, if necessary, defend themselves.

The interior itself cannot currently be measured or examined in any detail, because dense vegetation covers the entire area. The bank is clear enough from outside, but whatever features might survive within remain concealed. That combination, a well-preserved perimeter around an unreadable interior, gives the site a slightly unresolved quality that is, in its own way, appropriate for a place that has been quietly present in this upland corner of Tipperary for well over a thousand years.

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), Cathaganstown, Co. Tipperary. 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