Altitude 302 m (991 ft) Diameter 65 m (213 ft) Region Wicklow Mountains | Area 0.41 ha (1.0 acre) Height 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) | |
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Location Boleycarrigeen, Kilranelagh,
County Wicklow, Ireland Type ringfort and ogham stone | ||
Crossoona Rath [krɪʃˈuːnə] is a ringfort located in County Wicklow, Ireland. Together with a nearby ogham stone, it forms a National Monument.
Contents
Location
Crossoona Rath is located on the SE face of Kilranelagh Hill, near two tributaries of the Slaney and 6.5 km (4.0 mi) east of Baltinglass.
History
Crossoona Rath is believed to have been the dwelling of several (semi)historical figures of the first millennium AD:
Crossoona Rath is a likely home for at least some of these people: it is a spacious enclosure situated on the southeast slope of the hill, and is protected from the weather on the north and west by the bulk of the hill, on the north by the higher Spinans Hill, and on the east by the much higher Keadeen.
Description
Crossoona Rath is roughly circular and is defined by an earth and stone bank and external moat, with outer bank to the south. Foundations of two stone structures are in the northwest part.
Ogham stone
The ogham stone (CIIC 50) is located inside the rath and has been dated to AD 400–500 and reads ᚛ᚃᚑᚈᚔ᚜ (VOTI or FOTI), possibly the genitive of a personal name Votas or Votus, or maybe related to the Irish words foth (“law, claim, right”) or fotha (“base, foundation").