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Raised Rath is an early Christian rath located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation laid down during the Telychian period, which provides a firm geological foundation beneath the earthwork. The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 7235.
Raths are circular or oval earthen enclosures that served as the defended homesteads of the Irish aristocracy and prosperous farming families during the medieval period. This raised example, elevated above the surrounding terrain, would have provided improved drainage and visibility of approaches. The wacke bedrock beneath the site, composed of poorly sorted sedimentary rock, would have presented challenges for the construction of the internal ditch and rampart system characteristic of such monuments.
The creation of this rath during the early Christian period reflects the settlement patterns and social organisation of medieval Irish society. The surviving earthwork preserves evidence of domestic and possibly ecclesiastical activity, typical of settlements from this era. The monument's continued presence on the landscape at this County Down location contributes to understanding the distribution and character of early medieval settlement in Ulster.
Raised rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7235. View the official record →
Raised Rath is an early Christian rath located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7235.
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 7235.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mill chimney - ihr 03065 (3.2 km), Killowen. killowen medieval church (ruined) & graveyard, with 2 cross-carved stones (3.9 km), Castlewilliam. castle (5.5 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 Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.