Ringfort (Rath), Coolrus, Co. Limerick

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Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Coolrus, Co. Limerick

What catches the eye at Coolrus is not the earthwork itself but an oddity within it: set roughly two metres inside the top edge of the enclosing scarp, and running concentrically with it, is an arc of low stones.

Most of these stones are visible along the western to north-western arc, and their purpose is not immediately obvious. They predate any scholarly label we might attach to them, and they sit quietly inside a structure that was already ancient when anyone thought to record it.

The site is a rath, the Irish term for a ringfort, which was the most common form of rural settlement in early medieval Ireland, typically enclosing a farmstead and its associated outbuildings within a raised earthen bank and ditch. This particular example sits on a south-east-facing slope in pasture land in County Limerick. Its circular interior measures roughly 41 metres north-west to south-east and just over 38 metres north-east to south-west, making it a reasonably substantial example of the type. The enclosing scarp stands about 2.1 metres high and nearly 3 metres wide, with an external fosse, or ditch, running around most of the perimeter to a depth of around 2.3 metres and a width of 4 metres. Notably, the fosse is absent on the south-east side, which may reflect the natural fall of the slope or a deliberate choice in the original design. There is a gap in the bank at the east-south-east, roughly 2.1 metres wide, likely the original entrance. Along the southern edge of the enclosure, a stony bank about 4.6 metres wide runs outward in a south-easterly direction for approximately 31 metres before it meets a rock outcrop. The site was compiled by Denis Power and uploaded to the record in August 2011.

The site sits in working pasture, so access will depend on the landowner and the condition of the ground underfoot. The interior is described as level but partially covered in overgrowth, so a visit in late winter or early spring, when vegetation has died back, is likely to give the clearest sense of the internal features, including that arc of low stones along the western arc. The gap in the bank at the east-south-east is the natural point of entry and gives a reasonable orientation to the whole enclosure. The stony bank running south-east toward the rock outcrop is easy to miss if you remain focused on the main earthwork, but following it to its terminus at the outcrop gives a fuller picture of how the site was organised.

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Pete F
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