This rath, located near Birra in County Donegal, consists of a nearly circular earthen bank enclosing a space roughly 11 metres across in internal diameter. The strategic placement takes full advantage of the hill’s steep slopes, which may have been further modified in antiquity to enhance the site’s defensive capabilities.

Today, dense vegetation has reclaimed much of the structure, making it challenging to fully appreciate its original form. Despite this overgrowth, the essential features of this early medieval dwelling place remain visible to those who know what to look for. The earthen bank that once protected the inhabitants still traces its circuit around the hilltop, a testament to the engineering skills of Ireland’s early farmers and lords who built these fortified homesteads between roughly 500 and 1200 AD.

This particular site was documented as part of the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled by Brian Lacey and his team in 1983. The survey catalogued field antiquities spanning from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, providing invaluable records of sites like this ringfort that might otherwise fade from memory. Such earthworks are remarkably common across the Irish landscape; thousands still survive, silent witnesses to a time when local chieftains and prosperous farmers needed both to display their status and protect their wealth from raids.