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Lismore Rath is an early Christian ringfort located near Coleraine in County Londonderry. The monument sits on bedrock of the Argyll Group, ancient metamorphic rocks formed in the Neoproterozoic era, which underlie much of this part of Ulster. These psammites, semipelites and pelites provide the geological foundation upon which the rath was constructed.
Raths were fortified farmsteads typical of early medieval Ireland, usually consisting of a circular or oval earthwork enclosure containing domestic structures. Dating to the early Christian period, Lismore Rath would have served as a defended residence for a family of some status. The earthen rampart and ditch would have enclosed wooden buildings used for habitation, storage and craft activities.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under statutory reference 12359, ensuring its preservation as an important record of early Christian settlement patterns and rural life in the north of Ireland. The rath's location near Coleraine, in a landscape shaped by ancient geological processes, reflects the long human occupation of this strategically valuable area.
Lismore. rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12359. View the official record →
Lismore Rath is an early Christian ringfort located near Coleraine in County Londonderry. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12359.
Lismore. 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.
Lismore. 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 12359.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (0.8 km), Rath (0.8 km), Dwarf's grave, slaght averty. cairn (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Lismore. 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.
Lismore. rath stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.