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Counterscarp Rath is a late Early Christian rath situated near Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument consists of a circular enclosure defined by a defensive ditch and bank, characteristic of the rath form that flourished in Ireland from the 5th to 10th centuries. The site occupies bedrock of the Tyrone Group, comprising limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone with subordinate chert, coal and conglomerate, which would have influenced both the construction technique and the drainage properties of the earthwork.
Raths served as the fortified residences of farming families and small-scale lords, with the surrounding ditch and bank providing both physical defence and a symbolic demonstration of status and territorial claim. The Counterscarp Rath's name refers to the outer face of the ditch, suggesting a structure where this feature was particularly pronounced or otherwise notable.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 14898, ensuring its preservation as an important record of early medieval settlement patterns and social organisation in Ulster. The site contributes to our understanding of local land use and territorial management during the Early Christian period in this region of the province.
Counterscarp rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14898. View the official record →
Counterscarp Rath is a late 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 14898.
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 14898.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. court tomb (0.3 km), Cloghanachorite, cloghnachorite. boulder with hollows (0.5 km), Platform rath (0.5 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 Tyrone Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone, with subordinate chert, coal and conglomerate.