52°48′08″N 6°39′47″W / 52.80222°N 6.66306°W
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]
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b 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 "Significant Unpublished Irish Archaeological Excavations 1930 - 1997".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.