© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Counterscarp rath is an early Christian rath situated near Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument comprises an earthwork defence characteristic of early medieval Irish settlement sites, featuring a distinctive counterscarp—an outer bank running parallel to the main rampart—which would have reinforced the enclosure's protective capacity. The rath's location on bedrock of the Argyll Group, comprising ancient psammite, semipelite and pelite deposits formed during the Neoproterozoic era, provided a stable geological foundation for its construction.
The site lies within a landscape shaped by some of Britain and Ireland's oldest rocks, which would have influenced the availability of building materials and the character of the surrounding terrain in early Christian times. Such raths typically served as fortified homesteads for families of rank, combining domestic and defensive functions within their earthwork boundaries.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 14392, ensuring its preservation as evidence of early medieval settlement patterns in Ulster. The counterscarp rath represents an important class of archaeological site reflecting the social and defensive strategies of early Christian Ireland.
Counterscarp rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14392. View the official record →
Counterscarp rath is an early Christian rath situated near Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14392.
Counterscarp rath dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Counterscarp rath is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 14392.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing stone (5.7 km), 'graveyard'. prehistoric burial (5.7 km), Ogham stone (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Counterscarp rath's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Counterscarp rath stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.