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This large enclosure is a possible early Christian rath—a ringfort of the type commonly built in early medieval Ireland—accompanied by a souterrain, an underground stone-lined passage characteristic of Iron Age and early Christian settlement sites across the island. The monument lies in County Armagh on bedrock of the Armagh Group, a sequence of Visean limestones, shales and sandstones that would have influenced both the drainage and the stone available for construction. Souterrains served multiple functions, likely providing refuge, storage or ritual space within the defended enclosure above.
The site's combination of ringfort and souterrain suggests occupation during the early Christian period, when such settlements served as the residences of minor lords, farmers or ecclesiastical communities. The limestone geology of the locality would have offered workable stone for building, though the precise construction methods employed here remain undocumented. The monument is now protected by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland, ensuring its preservation for future study and public understanding of early medieval settlement in Ulster.
Large enclosure (rath?) & souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5612. View the official record →
This large enclosure is a possible early Christian rath—a ringfort of the type commonly built in early medieval Ireland—accompanied by a souterrain, an underground stone-lined passage characteristic of Iron Age and early Christian settlement sites across the island. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5612.
Large enclosure (rath?) & souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath & souterrainpossible. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Large enclosure (rath?) & souterrain 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 5612.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork (4.1 km), The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork (4.1 km), Rath (4.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Large enclosure (rath?) & souterrain'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.
Large enclosure (rath?) & souterrain stands on Armagh Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is limestone, argillaceous rocks and subordinate sandstone, interbedded.