HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database MO030-018001 (None)
NMR:  MO 030 (None)
SM:  None
NGR:  None
X:  675163  Y:  803982  (IRENET95)
In undulating terrain, circular contour fort with a total site footprint of approximately 0.5ha surrounds the summit of hilltop and overlooks the Mill Lough to E and a number of small feeder rivers to W, S and E. Univallate for the entire circuit with three simple entrance breaks, two at the NE and another in the E. The interior is divided by an arcing earth and stone bank that separates off the NE sector of the fort. Up to five rectangular structures are visible on the surface within the interior. Ramparts survive best at the NE side. Interior under pasture. Some tree cover over enclosing elements. First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. More detailed earthwork survey in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Survey by Brindley in 1986.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -762998  Y:  7166301  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -6.854128553434819  Latitude:  53.97963704910957  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Monaghan
Historic County:  Monaghan
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Raferagh
None
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
None
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Contour fort surrounding summit of hilltop in undulating terrain overlooking Mill Lough to E and a number of small feeder river to W, S and E.
| Contour Fort   | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort   | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort   | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort   | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort   | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort   | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort   | ✗ |
| Hilltop   | ✓ |
| Coastal Promontory   | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory   | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom   | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Ridge   | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   | ✗ |
| Hillslope   | ✗ |
| Lowland   | ✗ |
| Spur   | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature:  Hilltop.
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  176.0m
N/A
None.
Reliability:  D - None
| Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
| Post AD800   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort:   | None |
| Post Hillfort:   | None |
First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. More detailed earthwork survey in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Survey by Brindley in 1986.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   | First edition 6 inch Ordnance Survey mapping. |
| Earthwork Survey (1906):   | Second edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey mapping. |
| Other (1986):   | Site survey by Brindley. |
The interior is divided by a earth and stone bank cutting off an oval area of approximately 0.14ha at the NE sector of the fort. Up to five rectangular hut structures have been identified on the surface within the interior. Two are positioned at the NE where the internal bank divides the interior (Brindely 1986).
None
| None   | ✓ |
| Spring   | ✗ |
| Stream   | ✗ |
| Pool   | ✗ |
| Flush   | ✗ |
| Well   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
The interior is divided by a earth and stone bank cutting off an oval area of approximately 0.14ha at the NE sector of the fort. Up to five rectangular stone structures within interior.
| No Known Features   | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures   | ✓ |
| Curvilinear Platforms   | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✓ |
None
| No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds   | ✓ |
| Pottery   | ✗ |
| Metal   | ✗ |
| Metalworking   | ✗ |
| Human Bones   | ✗ |
| Animal Bones   | ✗ |
| Lithics   | ✗ |
| Environmental   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked   | ✗ |
| None   | ✓ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Two entrance breaks in the enclosing elements. Entrance one is positioned at the NE sector and comprises a simple break as depicted in the second edition Ordnance Survey mapping; a gap in the internal bank that separates the NE sector of the interior provides access into the rest of the interior. Brindely records another simple entrance at the E (1986).
| 3:   | There is also an entrance through the bank separating the NE sector from the rest of the interior |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North east):   | None |
| 3. Simple Gap (East):   | None |
Oval area defined by a single earthen bank. The interior is divided by a smaller earth and stone bank that separates off the NE sector of the interior (Brindely 1986).
| Area 1:   | 0.34ha. |
| Total:   | 0.34ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  0.47ha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| Total:   | 1 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
None
| None   | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank   | ✓ |
| Stone Wall   | ✗ |
| Rubble   | ✗ |
| Wall-walk   | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber   | ✗ |
| Vitrification   | ✗ |
| Other Burning   | ✗ |
| Palisade   | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
| Berm   | ✗ |
| Unfinished   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
None
| None   | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank   | ✗ |
| Stone Wall   | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex   | ✗ |
| Timber-framed   | ✗ |
| Timber-laced   | ✗ |
| Vitrification   | ✗ |
| Other Burning   | ✗ |
| Palisade   | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
| Berm   | ✗ |
| Unfinished   | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| ✗   | None |
| ✗   | None |
Number of Ditches:  0
| ✗   | None. |
Brindely, A. 1986. Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan. The Stationary Office, Dublin.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1