Ringfort (Rath), Rathduff, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Rathduff, Co. Cork

There is nothing left to see at Rathduff, and that near-total absence is part of what makes it worth knowing about.

A ringfort, or rath, once occupied this ground, a roughly circular enclosure of earthen banks that would have enclosed a farmstead during the early medieval period, probably somewhere between the fifth and twelfth centuries. Thousands of them survive across Ireland in various states of preservation. This one does not.

What we know comes from the Ordnance Survey's six-inch map of 1842, where the site appears as a hachured circular enclosure with a diameter of approximately twenty-five metres. That is a modest footprint, consistent with a single-family agricultural settlement rather than any kind of high-status stronghold. At some point after that survey was made, the earthworks were levelled entirely. The ground was cleared so thoroughly that no surface trace remains today, leaving the 1842 cartographers as the last witnesses to record its shape.

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), Rathduff, Co. Cork. 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