Rathgall Hillfort
An Ráth Gheal | |
 Aerial view of the fort | |
| Location | County Wicklow, Province of Leinster |
|---|---|
| Type | Multivallate hill fort |
| Width | 15 metres |
| Area | 7.5ha (18 acres) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1200-900BC |
| Periods | Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1969 |
| Condition | Partially preserved |
| Ownership | Public |
| Public access | Yes |
| Official name | Rathgall |
| Reference no. | 422[1] |
Rathgall, (Irish: An Ráth Gheal[2]) or the Ring of the Rath is a large multivallate hill fort near the town of Shillelagh.[3] Dating from the Bronze Age, it consists of three roughly concentric stone ramparts with a fourth masonry wall dating from the Medieval period at its centre.[4] Rathgall is a National Monument which is in state care.[5]
Excavations led by Barry Raftery in the 1970s the site are only partial,[6] but yielded numerous artefacts including ceramic vessels, pot sherds and glass beads, which point to the middle to late Bronze Age activity on the site. A number of gold items have been found at the site also, as well as a burial site linked with later use of the site.[4] Evidence of metal working comes from casts for tools and weapons,[7] with burials pointing to a ritual element to the site beyond its agricultural and domestic use.[8]
There are numerous legends that are associated with the site including fairies and as a site of pilgrimage for childless couples.[9]
References
- "National Monuments of County Wicklow in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 3. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- "An Ráth Gheal/Rathgall". Logainm.ie. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- Dowling, Simon. "Rathgall Hillfort, Co. Wicklow". Aerial Archaeology A birds-eye view of Irish archaeology. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- The Heritage Council. "Significant Unpublished Irish Archaeological Excavations 1930 - 1997". The Heritage Council. The Heritage Council. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- National Monument Service. "National Monuments in State care". National Monument Service. National Monument Service. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- Cultural Heritage Ireland. "The Late Bronze Age Hillfort at Rathgall, Co. Wicklow, near Tullow, Co. Carlow". Cultural Heritage Ireland. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- Raftery, Barry. "Rathgall Hillfort". Visit Wicklow. Wicklow County Tourism. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- Harding, Dennis (2012). Iron Age Hillforts in Britain and Beyond. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-0191626104. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- Voices from the Dawn. "Ring of the Rath (Rathgall Hillfort)". Voices from the Dawn. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
Further reading
- Becker, Katharina 2010. Rathgall, Co. Wicklow, Archaeology Ireland/Media House, Dublin
- Raftery, B. 1970a The Rathgall Hillfort, Co. Wicklow, Antiquity 44. 51–54.
- Raftery, B. 1970b A Decorated Strap-end from Rathgall, Co. Wicklow, Journal Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 100. 200–211.
- Raftery, B. 1971 Rathgall, Co. Wicklow: 1970 excavations, Antiquity 45. 296–298.
- Raftery, B. 1973 Rathgall: a late Bronze Age burial in Ireland, Antiquity. 47
- Raftery, B. 1974 Rathgall, In Delaney (ed.) Excavations 1974: Summary Account of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland. Association of Young Irish Archaeologists, Ulster Archaeological Society and Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement. 40.
- Raftery, B. 1975-76 Rathgall, In Delaney (ed.) Excavations 1975-76: Summary Account of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland. Association of Young Irish Archaeologists, Ulster Archaeological Society and Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement. 42.
- Raftery, B. 1976 Rathgall and Irish Hillfort Problems, In D.W. Harding (ed.) Hillforts: Later Prehistoric Earthworks of Britain and Ireland, London: Academic Press. 339–357.
- Raftery, B. 1981 Iron Age Burials in Ireland in D. O Corrain (ed.), Irish Antiquity, 173–204.
- Waddell, J. 1998 The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland, Galway University Press. Galway. 270–273.