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Rath and structures is an early Christian rath located near Ballymena, County Antrim. The monument sits on bedrock of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, part of the extensive mafic lava and tuff formations that underlie much of the Antrim plateau. This volcanic geology, formed over 60 million years ago, would have provided a naturally drained and defensible location for settlement.
The rath comprises an enclosing earthwork with associated structures typical of early Christian occupation in Ireland, dating broadly between the 5th and 9th centuries. Such raths functioned as farmsteads and noble residences, their circular or sub-circular banks offering both domestic space and protection for livestock. The proximity of similar sites across the Antrim region reflects the dispersed settlement pattern of early medieval Ulster.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under statutory designation. The rath's preservation on the distinctive volcanic terrain of the Antrim plateau makes it a significant record of early Christian settlement patterns in north-eastern Ireland, reflecting the period when Christianity had recently become established in the island's religious and cultural life.
Rath and structures is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2201. View the official record →
Rath and structures is an early Christian rath located near Ballymena, County Antrim. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2201.
Rath and structures 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.
Rath and structures 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 2201.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath & souterrain (0.2 km), Rath & souterrain (0.8 km), Standing stone (2.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rath and structures'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.
Rath and structures stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.