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Ballymoney rath is a raised ringfort located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It represents a form of defended domestic settlement typical of early Christian Ireland, generally dating from the early medieval period. The monument sits upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff—which create a distinctive geological foundation for this raised earthwork, the volcanic geology lending particular character to this part of the north Antrim landscape.
The rath takes the form of a raised, artificially heightened circular enclosure, a construction technique that distinguished it from simple ringforts by providing additional defensive advantage through elevation. The choice to build upon the underlying mafic lava geology suggests the site's builders exploited natural topography or rock outcrops, incorporating the bedrock into their defensive strategy and settlement planning.
Today Ballymoney rath is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 1396, reflecting its significance as evidence of early medieval settlement patterns and social organization in this region. The monument survives as an important surviving example of its type and period in the wider landscape of early Christian Ireland.
Raised rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 1396. View the official record →
Ballymoney rath is a raised ringfort located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 1396.
Raised 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.
Raised 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 1396.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath?, motte and bailey & 2 urn burials (0.9 km), Raised rath & annexe (1.1 km), Souterrain (1.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Raised 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.
Raised rath stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.