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Rath is an early Christian ringfort situated near Coleraine in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument under reference 11686 by the Historic Environment Division. Early Christian raths of this type typically date from the fifth to ninth centuries and served as the fortified homesteads of Hiberno-Celtic nobility and ecclesiastical communities, combining domestic, agricultural and sometimes monastic functions within their earthen ramparts.
The site occupies bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, a foundation of ancient mafic lava and tuff formed during volcanic activity tens of millions of years ago. This igneous geology underlies much of the Antrim and Derry landscape, creating undulating terrain characteristic of the region. The solid rock base would have provided stable ground for the construction and maintenance of the rath's defensive earthworks.
As a ringfort, the monument would originally have comprised one or more concentric circular or oval banks and ditches surrounding a residential enclosure. Such enclosed homesteads were common throughout early medieval Ireland, and their distribution across the landscape reflects patterns of settlement and social hierarchy during the early Christian period. The surviving earthworks preserve evidence of this important phase in Irish cultural and religious history.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11686. View the official record →
Rath is an early Christian ringfort situated near Coleraine in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11686.
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.
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 11686.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mound - motte? (4 km), Old church tower, church of balibony, balibony. medieval & later church, tower & graveyard (5.7 km), Raised rath (or motte?) (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of 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.
Rath stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.