Ballyallaban ringfort () or sometimes ''An Rath'' ("The Rath") is an earthen
ringfort
Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortification, fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are ...
south of
Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan () is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the N67 road on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. This position on the coast road and the close proximity ...
in
the Burren
The Burren ( ; ) is a karst/glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. area, in
County Clare
County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. It is a
National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
.
Location
The fort lies right next to the R480 road between the village of Ballyvaughan and
Leamaneh Castle
Leamaneh Castle is a ruined castle located in the townland of Leamaneh North, parish of Kilnaboy, between the villages of Corofin and Kilfenora at the border of the region known as the Burren in County Clare, Ireland. It consists of a 15th-ce ...
. It is located in the townland of Ballyallaban, in the civil parish of
Rathborney.
Description
The ringfort has an internal diameter of around 100 feet (200 feet including the moat) and is in good condition, although trees grow on much of the structure. The ramparts were built with the earth dug out of the moat, which still fills with water after rain.
The walls were originally even higher, and the moat deeper, than they are now. The embankment was most likely topped by a wooden palisade.
Designation
The national monument including Ballyallaban ringfort, number 648, actually consists of two separate forts: the earthen Ballyallaban ringfort, and the nearby stone fort of
Cahermore.
References
External links
Info at Clare Library
{{Tourism in County Clare
Archaeological sites in County Clare
Forts in the Republic of Ireland
Former populated places in Ireland
National monuments in County Clare