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Bivallatte Ringfort

Bivallatte

Meaning unclear.

The building and occupation of ringforts extended over a very long period, from at least the early Iron age until medieval times. The term lios or rath is usually applied to an earthen fort while a stone built fort is called a cashel. Large forts are generally known by the word "dun". Ringforts are the commonest field monument in Ireland and it is estimated that there are 35,000 of them scattered all over our countryside. Within the enclosure stood the houses and domestic buildings. The houses were generaly round, made of wood and thatched with reeds or rushes. Where wood was scarce, stone was used as building material. Some houses were rectangular in shape and shingles (wooden slates) were sometimes used as roofing. In the centre of the houses stood the hearth, and when the fire was lit the smoke escaped through a hole in the roof.

Artists impression of a ringfort

Some of the finest ringforts in the Glenamaddy area are those at Lissacarra, known to us as Lios Ard and Lios Eighter. Lios Ard measures 32m east-west and 27m north-south. Its entrance is on the east side and is 3m in width. Internally, the bank is about 1m high all around and externally, it is about 2m high on the south side. Kiltullagh Lake is visible about half a mile away to the north. In the same field to the north is Lios Fighter. It is also a univallatte fort with traces of a fosse on the north side. It measures 8m in the north west decreasing to 5m in the west. The bank of the fort varies in height and is at its highest (4m) in the north-west. Trees and bushes are now growing on the bank. The most spectacular ringfort in the area is a multivallatte ringfort in the townland of Lehurick approximately half a mile from Kiltullagh Lake. It has a pool attached on its southern side and an annexe on the north eastern. The width of the fort from crest to crest north-south is 25m and it is 24m east-west.

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