The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Rathurles

Standing Stones

Fieldnotes

To the north of the tri-vallette ring-fort are two large recumbent blocks of stone.
In the older OS letters they are described as the remains of a druids altar however in the latest description they are described as "gateways" and "Listed in the SMR (1992) and RMP (1998) as piers. These gatepiers are located in the field NE of Rathurles ringfort (TN021-012001). They consist of two large recumbent limestone blocks fomerly used as gatepiers to mark the entrance to the ringfort and are likely to be of nineteenth-century date."
On the old 6" OS maps of the 1840s they are described as "remarkable stones".

To me I'm not sure how they could be described as gate-posts to a ring-fort and I've been trying to identify where this newer description came from. There those appear to have been some work done to the stones and at what date this was completed I don't know. However where these large stones are now located is not near any existing or old field entrance. Why someone would move them to this position I don't know. It seems to me more likely that they are in their original position?

The ring-fort itself is known as "the fair of munster or Ormond" (Ormond comes from the irish for north munster) or an old aonach site. Seemingly it is the reason why the town of Nenagh is located where it is. The thinking being that when the Norman settlers arrived they moved it to a new location.
bawn79 Posted by bawn79
17th October 2014ce

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