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Rath is an early Christian earthwork monument located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 2983. Raths are circular or oval enclosed settlements characteristic of early medieval Ireland, typically consisting of a raised central dwelling area surrounded by one or more defensive banks and ditches. This example sits upon distinctive volcanic bedrock comprising felsic lava and tuff of Palaeogene age, remnants of the intense volcanic activity that shaped the Antrim landscape tens of millions of years ago.
The monument's survival reflects the resilience of these Iron Age and early Christian farmstead defences, which functioned as both practical fortifications and status symbols for their inhabitants. The underlying geology of acidic volcanic rock would have influenced drainage patterns and soil development around the rath, affecting both settlement practices and the preservation of archaeological deposits. Early Christian raths like this one often developed from earlier Iron Age prototypes, representing continuity of settlement strategy through periods of significant social and religious transformation in Ireland.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2983. View the official record →
Rath is an early Christian earthwork monument located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 2983.
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 2983.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Raised rath (7.5 km), Rath and motte (7.9 km), Bull mount. counterscarp rath reused as motte & bailey with later enclosure (8.4 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 felsic lava and felsic tuff.