Ringfort (Rath), Shrubbywood, Co. Westmeath

Co. Westmeath |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Shrubbywood, Co. Westmeath

A field bank built sometime after 1700 cuts clean through the middle of this ancient enclosure, slicing it north to south as though the earlier structure simply did not exist.

That kind of casual overwriting is not unusual in the Irish countryside, but it gives this particular rath a quality that rewards attention: two quite different layers of land management, separated by perhaps a thousand years or more, sitting in direct and unapologetic collision.

The site sits on low-lying ground in County Westmeath, sixty metres east of the River Inny, with bogland closing in on all sides within about five hundred metres. A rath is a ringfort, typically a circular enclosure defined by an earthen bank and sometimes an outer ditch, used as a farmstead and place of habitation during the early medieval period. This one measures thirty-three metres in diameter on a north-north-east to south-south-west axis. The enclosing bank is poorly preserved for most of its circuit, surviving best at the south and north-north-west and having been almost completely levelled elsewhere. There are faint traces of an external fosse, a shallow defensive ditch, surviving at the southern arc. The interior sits at a slightly raised level relative to the surrounding ground, which is consistent with centuries of occupation deposit building up beneath the surface. The boggy, low-lying setting would have offered some natural protection, as well as proximity to the river as a resource, though it also means the earthworks have fared poorly against waterlogging and drainage works over the generations.

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), Shrubbywood, 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