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Rath — a e.christ. rath is an early Christian ringfort located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The monument sits upon bedrock of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs formed during volcanic activity some 66 to 23 million years ago. This geological foundation of ancient igneous material lies beneath the later earthwork construction typical of early medieval Irish settlement patterns.
Ringforts of this period, generally dated between the 5th and 12th centuries, represent the domestic and agricultural centres of early Christian communities. The circular or sub-circular form, often defined by one or more concentric banks and ditches, provided defended enclosures for a family and their livestock. Such monuments are particularly numerous across northern Ulster, reflecting the density of settlement and land use in the early medieval period.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland under monument record 12678, ensuring its preservation as part of the archaeological heritage of the Magherafelt area. Ringforts remain vital sources of evidence for understanding settlement patterns, social organisation and farming practices in early Christian Ireland.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12678. View the official record →
Rath — a e.christ. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12678.
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 12678.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (2.3 km), Rath (2.4 km), Dunglady fort. multivallate rath & quaker graveyard (3.1 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.