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Rath & Souterrain is an early Christian ringfort and underground stone-built chamber located in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. The monument comprises two linked archaeological features typical of early medieval settlement in Ireland, dating to the early Christian period. The rath, or ringfort, would originally have been enclosed by one or more earthen banks and ditches, creating a defensive residential enclosure for a family or small community. The associated souterrain—an underground passage and chamber constructed from stone—served practical purposes including storage, refuge, or ritual functions within the settlement.
The site sits on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a wacke-type stone formation from the Wenlock period, which would have influenced both the construction techniques and the natural drainage of the settlement. The presence of substantial stone resources nearby made souterrain construction feasible at this location. Early Christian raths like this one were common across Ireland and represent a period of settlement continuity following the arrival of Christianity, blending indigenous ringfort traditions with new religious and social structures.
The monument is recorded and protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 6136.
Rath & souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6136. View the official record →
Rath & Souterrain is an early Christian ringfort and underground stone-built chamber located in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6136.
Rath & souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath & souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Rath & souterrain 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 6136.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath & souterrain (0.5 km), Rath (0.7 km), Rath & ?souterrain (1.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rath & souterrain'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 & souterrain stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.