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Rath — a e.christ. rath is an early Christian enclosed settlement located near Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument sits on bedrock of the Fintona Group, Late Devonian sandstones, mudstones, siltstones and conglomerates that form the underlying geology of this region. It is recorded in the Historic Environment Division database under reference 15454.
The rath represents a form of domestic settlement characteristic of early Christian Ireland, typically consisting of a defended homestead with banks and ditches enclosing a small area of habitation. Such monuments were commonly occupied from the early Christian period through the medieval centuries. The topography and soil conditions of the Omagh area, underlain by Devonian bedrock, would have provided both drainage and defensive advantages for settlement.
This monument contributes to the archaeological record of early Christian settlement patterns in the province of Ulster. Raths of this type remain important evidence for understanding rural settlement, social organisation and land use during the medieval period in Ireland. The site is protected under historic environment legislation to preserve this aspect of Northern Ireland's cultural heritage.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 15454. View the official record →
Rath — a e.christ. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 15454.
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 15454.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Platform rath (3.5 km), Rath (3.7 km), Cloghfin chambered grave. portal tomb (4.3 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 Fintona Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and conglomerate.