Ringforts

A sketch of what the multivallate ringfort at Rathinree, Moynalty, may have looked like.
An example of a multivallate ringfort, like the one at Rathinree, which would have been occupied by a noble.

Ringforts were the defended homesteads of ‘freemen’ in Early Medieval Ireland. Although fewer than 1% have been accurately dated,1 most appear to have been built between 500 and 1000 AD.2 These structures were generally not intended for military purposes or prolonged defence, but rather to offer refuge to families during raids. In our locality alone, there are nearly 70 ringforts, with an estimated 40,000 still visible across the island today.3

The buildings within ringforts were typically circular, though by the 10th century there was a shift to a native rectangular design, distinct from the Viking style.4 A standard ringfort, with a single ditch (fosse) and an internal bank (rampart), is known as a ‘univallate’ ringfort. This would have been home to an ocaire (a young freeman) or a higher-ranking boaire (cow freeman).5 In contrast, ‘multivallate’ ringforts, with multiple ditches, indicated higher status and were often the residences of kings, aristocrats, clerics, craftsmen, or poets, collectively known as the Nemed (noble) class.6 Examples of these can be found at Agheragh, Carnacally, Corgreagh, Druminiskin, and Rathe.

Ringfort settlement patterns follow a model of ‘defence in depth’,7 meaning that they were built within close proximity of one another as a safeguard against attack. As cattle were a main commodity in medieval Ireland many may have been built exclusively to shelter livestock during one of these raids. There is also evidence that some were used for industrial purposes and others as a meeting place for trade.8 Some do take on a military role however and are placed at strategic locations, such as Rath Lugh, Rath Miles and Ringlestown Rath on the outskirts of Tara. The more imposing forts were built in the west of Ireland where stone was more readily available, however earthen ringforts (raths) like those found locally were not easy to overrun. Raths were generally constructed with a ditch 3m wide and over 2m deep.9 An internal bank would have then been made from the diggings and topped with a palisade wall or fence. Therefore, standing at the bottom of the ditch an attacker may have to scale up to 5-6m (16-19 feet) to gain entry.

Other notable ringforts are located at Doon, Mullystaghan, Rathbane, Rathinree Upper, Rathmanoo, Rathstephen, Shancarnan, and Towas. These forts feature both outer and inner banks with a deep ditch in between. Rathinree stands out in particular; its numerous high-status forts, proximity to the ceremonial bile tree at Billywood, and Gaelic name Rath an Ri – meaning ‘The Fort of the King’ – suggest that it was likely the principal Gaelic site in Moynalty during the early medieval period. Additionally, there is a hill in the townland formerly known as Cnoch na Tuaithe,10 meaning ‘Hill of the Tuath,’ with tuath referring to a small Gaelic kingdom or community.

References

  1. Jon Henderson, The Atlantic Iron Age: Settlement and Identity in the First Milennium BC (London, 2007), p. 174
  2. T. B Barry, The Archaeology of Medieval Ireland (London, 1988), p. 17
  3. Donnchadh Ó Corráin, ‘Ireland c. 800: aspects of society’ in Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (ed.) A New History of Ireland, Volume I: Prehistoric and Early Ireland (Oxford, 2005), p. 550
  4. C. J. Lynn, ‘Early Christian Period Domestic Structures: A Change from Round to Rectangular Plans?’ in Irish Archaeological Research Forum, Vol. 5 (1978), p. 37
  5. Matthew Stout, The Irish Ringfort (Dublin, 1997), pp. 113-14
  6. Elva Johnston, Literacy and Identity in Early Medieval Ireland (Woodbridge, 2013), p. 71
  7. Matthew Stout, ‘Early Christian Ireland: Settlement and Environment’ in Terry Barry (ed.) A History of Settlement in Ireland (London, 2000), p. 95
  8. Heritage Council, ‘Significant unpublished Irish excavations 1930-1997’, Section 13. Available at http://www.heritagecouncil.ie. Accessed (May 18, 2019)
  9. Lloyd Laing, The Archaeology of Celtic Britain and Ireland: c. AD 400-1200 (Cambridge, 2006), p. 41
  10. Valentine Farrell, Not So Much To One Side (Moynalty, 1984), p. 11

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