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Lisnabrean is a bivallate rath situated in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. This early Christian ringfort represents a form of domestic settlement characteristic of the early medieval period in Ireland, typically dating from the fifth to twelfth centuries. The monument comprises two concentric defensive earthen banks, which would have enclosed a dwelling area and livestock enclosure within a roughly circular plan. Such raths served as the residence of a farming family or small community, with the multiple banks providing progressive defensive barriers.
The site occupies bedrock composed of a Late Silurian to Early Devonian felsic igneous intrusion, a geological context that would have informed settlement choice through its drainage properties and available stone. The landscape setting of the Newry and Mourne area, with its varied topography and resources, supported several such settlements during the early Christian period.
Lisnabrean is recorded in the Historic Environment Division's scheduling register under reference 8241 and thus benefits from statutory protection. Its archaeological significance lies in its contribution to understanding early medieval settlement patterns and social organisation in this region of Ulster. As an unexcavated monument, the rath retains potential for further archaeological investigation.
Lisnabrean. bivallate rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8241. View the official record →
Lisnabrean is a bivallate rath situated in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8241.
Lisnabrean. bivallate 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.
Lisnabrean. bivallate 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 8241.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Lisbane. rath & souterrain (6.4 km), The long stone, long stone. standing stone (6.8 km), Cashel (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Lisnabrean. bivallate 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.
Lisnabrean. bivallate rath stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.