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Rath — a is an early Christian ringfort situated in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland, protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 5951. The site occupies ground underlain by an unnamed igneous intrusion of felsic rock, dating to the Early Devonian period, which forms part of the underlying bedrock geology of the region. This geological foundation has supported human settlement across many centuries.
The rath represents a characteristic settlement type of early Christian Ireland, typically consisting of a circular or oval enclosure defined by one or more earthen banks and external ditches. Such ringforts served as defended farmsteads and domestic centres during the early medieval period, functioning as the focal points of individual territories and agricultural holdings.
The monument's survival into the modern era reflects the durability of earthwork construction across the local landscape. Its presence within this area of Newry and Mourne contributes to the archaeological record of early Christian settlement patterns in Ulster, providing evidence of territorial organisation and social hierarchy during the centuries following the Christianisation of Ireland.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5951. View the official record →
Rath — a is an early Christian ringfort situated in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland, protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 5951.
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 5951.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newry canal. newry canal - c.f. ihr 172 & arm 029 (3.2 km), Bagnal's castle. tower-house (4.1 km), Drumilly fort. rath (4.6 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 Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.