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Rath Gael : Stone Fort

CountyWicklow
Grid RefS 902 732
Longitude6° 39' 44.71" W
Latitude52° 48' 8.31" N
Nearest TownTullow (5 Km)
OS Sheet61
UTM zone29U
UTM x657579.69928873
UTM y5852840.3264222
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Visit Notes

Sunday, 26th August 2001

I really didn't know what to expect here. I have only been to one stone fort before this and that was a sad affair. How different two place can be! As you cross the field towards the fort all you can see is the tree covered outer ditch and bank. As you get nearer you begin to see that it is actually an outer bank around a ditch, which is in turn around an inner stone wall some 6 ft high. A small opening in the ditches leads you into the inner sanctum ... prepare yourselves for what you see inside. As you enter the inner courtyard there is the fort itself sitting amongst the heather and knee high weeds. A round enclosure, possibly 50 m in diameter, with a single entrance. This wall reaches thickness' of up to 6 meters. Climbing on top of this is the only way to appreciate the immensity of the structures involved.

I noticed that the outer field is also round. This appears to be a further enclosure around the main site. I think this may even have been a stone circle. The hedgerow itself is dotted with standing stones, just visible through the uncut grass. In a neighbouring field is a solitary standing stone.

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All Sites Visited On 26th August 2001    Next Site »

Sunday, 14th April 2002

We saw so much this day that I'd actually forgotten that we'd been here until I got the photographs back. This site always makes me want to visit some of the more substantial cashels on the west coast.

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All Sites Visited On 14th April 2002    « Previous Site

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Directions

Follow the R725 from Tullow and take the first left turn after about 2 km The fort is signed about 2 km on the right. Look out for the stone circle 400m further along and the hill fort to the left [Now visited and disappointed].

Random Gazetteer

A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments

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9.8 Km (NW) there is a Grave or Cross Slab at Ballyhacket Lower (Co. Carlow).
6.4 Km (SW) there is a Standing Stone at Aghade (Co. Carlow).
6.9 Km (SW) there is a Bullaun Stone at Aghade (Co. Carlow).
8.7 Km (N) there is a Motte at Rathvilly (Co. Carlow).
6.8 Km (ENE) there is a Bullaun Stone at Clonmore (Co. Carlow).

A Selection of Other Stone Forts

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