Ringfort (Rath), Lissard, Co. Galway
Co. Galway |
Ringforts
What makes this particular field in Lissard worth a second look is the fact that its surface conceals more than it shows.
Set in level grassland in County Galway, the rath here is unusually well preserved, defined not by a single earthen bank, as many such sites are, but by two concentric banks with a fosse, or ditch, running between them. That doubled enclosure, roughly 34 metres in diameter and nearly circular, suggests this was a settlement of some consequence during the early medieval period, when raths served as enclosed farmsteads for farming families and occasionally for those of higher social standing.
Beneath the interior, in the western half of the enclosure, lies a souterrain, an underground stone-lined passage or chamber that would have been used for storage, refuge, or both. Souterrains are found across Ireland in association with ringforts and represent a considerable feat of dry-stone construction, typically built to maintain a cool, stable environment for dairy produce and valuables. The presence of one here adds a layer of complexity to what might otherwise read as a straightforward earthwork. Around 180 metres to the south, another monument of the same period has been recorded, suggesting that this part of north Galway was more densely settled in early medieval times than the quiet fields now imply.