Ringfort (Rath), Garroose, Co. Limerick

Co. Limerick |

Ringforts

Ringfort (Rath), Garroose, Co. Limerick

Somewhere in the low-lying fields of Garroose, a circular earthwork sits in level marshy ground, its banks softened by centuries of vegetation and its interior now more woodland tangle than the domestic enclosure it once was.

What survives here is a rath, the Irish term for a ringfort, which was the most common form of rural settlement in early medieval Ireland. Thousands were built across the country, typically serving as enclosed farmsteads for a single family and their livestock, defined by one or more earthen banks and a surrounding ditch known as a fosse.

The Garroose example, recorded and compiled by Denis Power and uploaded to the national record in August 2011, measures thirty-seven metres in diameter. Its enclosing bank stands to an internal height of around 1.2 metres and an external height of 2.35 metres, with the best-preserved section running from the west around to the east. A fosse, two metres wide but now only around 0.2 metres deep, runs around the outside; it is waterlogged and clogged with organic debris, and becomes particularly shallow at the western and south-eastern entrances. Two gaps in the bank, at the west and the east-south-east, most likely mark original entrance points, each roughly two to two and a half metres wide. On the inner face of the northern bank, an earth-cut fox covert has been dug at some later point, a reminder that these ancient enclosures were often quietly repurposed by later landowners for field sports.

The site is not an easy one to read on the ground. The bank is heavily masked by vegetation, and the flat interior is covered with bushes and strewn with fallen trees, making it difficult to trace the full circuit or get a clear sense of the original space. The waterlogged nature of the surrounding terrain means the fosse retains moisture and organic matter, which has both obscured its original depth and helped preserve the earthwork's outline over time. Anyone looking to find it should be prepared for soft ground and dense growth, and should expect to piece together the shape of the monument from fragments visible through the scrub rather than from any clear panoramic view.

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), Garroose, Co. Limerick. 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: 50 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement