Ringfort (Rath), Gullane, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Gullane, Co. Kerry

Tucked into gently sloping pastureland in north Kerry, this ringfort commands unobstructed views in every direction, which was almost certainly the point.

Ringforts, known in Irish as raths, are among the most common field monuments in Ireland, built predominantly during the early medieval period as enclosed farmsteads for farming families of modest status. What makes the Gullane example quietly interesting is not drama but precision: the earthen bank enclosing its sub-circular interior survives in measurable, readable form, and the deliberate positioning on open ground tells you something about how its builders understood landscape and visibility.

The rath is univallate, meaning it has a single enclosing bank rather than the two or three concentric rings sometimes found at higher-status sites. That bank averages 1.2 metres in external height, dropping to around 0.8 metres on the interior face, and encloses an area roughly 33 metres north to south and 31 metres east to west. An exterior fosse, the ditch dug outside the bank to reinforce the enclosure, runs from the western side around through south to east, measuring some 2.6 metres wide. Access was through a 4-metre gap on the north-east. Two oblong depressions sit within the bank itself, one on the northern side at 9 metres by 2 metres and one to the east at 8 metres by 2 metres; these hollows may reflect the collapse or robbing of structures once built against the inner face. Inside, the ground sits at a slightly elevated level relative to the surrounding land, and a small depression in the north-west corner, around a metre by four and a half metres, hints at some feature whose original purpose is no longer clear. The site was recorded in Caroline Toal's North Kerry Archaeological Survey, published in 1995, which remains a key source for early field monuments in this part of the county.

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), Gullane, Co. Kerry. 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