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Counterscarp rath is an early medieval Irish ringfort located near Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument consists of a circular or oval earthwork with a distinctive external bank or counterscarp, a feature that distinguishes it from simpler rath forms. The site sits on bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive volcanic material—mafic lavas and tuffs—which would have presented a challenging foundation for construction and determined the character of available stone for any structural elements.
Raths were the fortified homesteads of the Irish nobility and wealthy farming families, typically occupied between the fifth and twelfth centuries. The counterscarp design, with its outer defensive bank, suggests a concern for security characteristic of the early medieval period. The Lisburn area lies within the historic Ulaid kingdom, a region of significant settlement and territorial importance during the early Christian centuries.
The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument under the Historic Environment Division, Northern Ireland, registration number 4522, recognising its archaeological and cultural significance. The site remains an important record of early medieval settlement patterns and domestic fortification practices in the northern Irish landscape.
Counterscarp rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4522. View the official record →
Counterscarp rath is an early medieval Irish ringfort located near Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4522.
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 4522.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Green mound. rath & multivallate motte (1.3 km), Giant's grave. megalithic tomb (2.2 km), Bivallate rath (2.3 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 Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.