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Rath is an early Christian rath located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The monument comprises an earthwork enclosure characteristic of early medieval Irish settlement and land use, dating to the period following the Christianisation of Ireland. Raths of this type typically functioned as defended homesteads or small settlements, with a single or multiple banks and ditches forming a roughly circular or oval boundary. The site is protected as a scheduled historic monument under reference 12832 by the Historic Environment Division.
The rath sits on bedrock composed of Palaeogene mafic igneous rocks, including ancient lava flows and tuff deposits formed during volcanic activity in the Palaeogene period. This underlying geology is characteristic of the Antrim volcanic plateau region of Northern Ireland. The local landscape would have been shaped by both these volcanic deposits and subsequent glacial activity, creating the terrain upon which later settlement took place.
Early Christian raths represent an important phase in Irish archaeological and cultural history, marking the transition from Iron Age hillfort traditions to Christian-period settlement patterns. Many such sites show continuity of occupation from pagan into Christian times, sometimes incorporating religious structures or showing evidence of Christian activity alongside domestic or pastoral use.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12832. View the official record →
Rath is an early Christian rath located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12832.
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 12832.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Killelagh church. church, graveyard, & 2 bullauns (1 km), Rath (4.1 km), Fort william. counterscarp rath (4.8 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.