Ringfort (Rath), Moneynamuck, Co. Kilkenny

Co. Kilkenny |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Moneynamuck, Co. Kilkenny

On a ridge running east to west through the Goul river valley in County Kilkenny, the land drops away on every side, and the effect is one of quiet, deliberate elevation.

This is where an early medieval ringfort sits in rolling grassland at Moneynamuck, a modest but carefully constructed enclosure that rewards close attention from anyone willing to look past the overgrown earthworks.

Ringforts, known in Irish as raths, were the most common form of rural settlement in early medieval Ireland, typically serving as enclosed farmsteads for a single family and their livestock. This example is oval rather than circular, measuring roughly 22 metres north to south and 27 metres east to west. It is defined by a scarp, a steep-sided earthen face rising to about 2.4 metres, with the traces of an external fosse, essentially a defensive ditch, running outside it. The fosse is largely infilled now, reduced to a shallow depression between two and three metres wide and no more than half a metre deep in places. What makes the site particularly interesting is the broad, flat-topped bank that partially encloses the top of the monument, running from south around to north. This bank, between five and seven metres wide but only about 0.6 metres high, contains a central hollow of roughly eight by nine metres, open to the east. The southern, western, and northern sides of that hollow are lined with a stone revetment, meaning a facing of stone used to retain the earthen material behind it. There is also a small rectangular hollow, three to four metres across, cut into the northern bank. The function of these internal features is not recorded, but the stone revetment in particular suggests deliberate construction rather than later disturbance.

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), Moneynamuck, Co. Kilkenny. 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