Ringfort (Rath), Lissanisky, Co. Longford
Co. Longford |
Ringforts
Between early medieval farmstead and earthwork puzzle, the rath at Lissanisky sits in reclaimed pasture in County Longford, its outline still legible despite centuries of agricultural pressure.
A rath, to use the Irish term for this class of monument, is a roughly circular or oval enclosure defined by a bank and ditch, built primarily during the early medieval period as a defended farmstead for a single family or small community. What survives here is a raised oval platform, measuring approximately 49 metres on its north-east to south-west axis and around 37 metres across, retained by a scarp ranging from 1.2 to 2 metres in height. Beyond that scarp lies an external fosse, a ditch originally dug to reinforce the enclosure's defensive profile, though much of it has silted up and been filled in over time, particularly along the northern and south-eastern arcs.
By 1976, when the site was formally noted in the Sites and Monuments Record, a low outer bank was still visible on the southern side, suggesting the enclosure may once have had a more complex defensive arrangement than its present condition implies. That outer bank has since become difficult to distinguish. The original entrance point, which in many raths takes the form of a gap in the bank or a causeway across the fosse, is no longer recognisable on the ground. The gentle north-easterly slope on which the rath sits is typical of such sites; early medieval farmers across Ireland favoured well-drained, moderately elevated ground with good visibility over the surrounding land.