Ringfort (Rath), Paristown, Co. Westmeath

Co. Westmeath |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Paristown, Co. Westmeath

On a prominent, steep hill in Paristown, County Westmeath, an early medieval ringfort survives in a quietly complicated state, part earthwork, part absorbed into the ordinary geometry of modern field boundaries.

Most of the enclosing bank has vanished into hedgerows and fences, leaving only the south-western arc still readable as an earthen feature. It is the kind of place where the past has been edited rather than erased, requiring a certain patience to read.

Ringforts, known in Irish as raths when they are earthen rather than stone-built, were the dominant settlement form in early medieval Ireland, typically enclosing a farmstead and its associated buildings within a raised bank and ditch. This particular example is sub-circular in plan, measuring roughly 24 metres from north-west to south-east and 16 metres across the shorter axis. What makes it more than a simple enclosure is the detail surviving inside. At the centre sits a sub-circular hut site with entrance gaps on the north-west and south-east sides, and attached to it is a semi-circular platform that functioned as an annexe, a secondary space perhaps for storage or livestock. The interior of the enclosure is further divided into five distinct areas by low earthen banks, suggesting a degree of internal organisation that goes beyond a single household space and hints at the complexity of daily life within what might easily be dismissed as a mound on a hill.

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), Paristown, Co. Westmeath. 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