Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandDungannonPlatform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site
NEO/B.A. · RATH

Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site

Dungannon, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 15742
Period
NEO/B.A.
Site type
RATH
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 15742
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H5469053990
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Dungannon rath is a platform rath overlying a prehistoric settlement site in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Tyrone Group, a Visean-age formation comprising limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone interspersed with chert, coal and conglomerate. This geological foundation would have provided mixed terrain across the site, with softer sedimentary layers suitable for excavation and construction.

The rath itself represents a medieval phase of occupation, its earthwork platform likely dating to the early medieval period and serving as a defensive or high-status residential enclosure. However, the presence of an underlying prehistoric settlement indicates far longer human use of this location in Dungannon. The successive occupation of the site across millennia reflects its strategic or resource-rich qualities within the local landscape.

The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 15742. As with many Irish raths, the earthwork platform would originally have been more substantial, possibly surrounded by a bank and ditch, though its present condition reflects centuries of agricultural use and natural erosion. The overlay of medieval upon earlier settlement underscores the continuity of settlement patterns at advantageous locations in the landscape.

Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 15742. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site?

Dungannon rath is a platform rath overlying a prehistoric settlement site in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 15742.

What period does Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site date from?

Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site dates from the neo/b.a. period, and is classified as a rath. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site?

Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site 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 15742.

What other scheduled monuments are near Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath reused as tree ring (1 km), Rath (2.1 km), Platform rath (2.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site

Platform rath overlying prehistoric settlement site 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.