Ratoath is a barony of County Meath, in the historical province of Leinster (Irish: Ráth Tó), covering 145 km² of land. The barony records 338 NMS archaeological sites and 31 NIAH listed buildings, placing it at around the 67th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for sites per km². This means it is in the top third of all baronies for sites per km². Dated archaeological evidence runs from the Early Bronze Age through to the Modern, spanning 7 of 9 archaeological periods, placing the barony in the 34th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for chronological depth. This means it is in the lower half of all baronies for chronological depth. The largest dated subset of recorded sites dates to the Iron Age. Logainm flags 25 placenames in the barony as carrying a recognised heritage root; the largest share — around 52% — are names associated with early Christian church and monastic foundations.
Heritage at a glance
Percentile rankings throughout this profile compare each barony only against the other 279 Republic of Ireland baronies.
The recorded heritage of Ratoath
The National Monuments Service Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) is the statutory inventory of archaeological sites for the Republic of Ireland, maintained by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Sites recorded here include earthworks, ringforts, megalithic tombs, ecclesiastical remains, and post-medieval features; not every record is legally protected, but each is registered as a monument of archaeological interest.
The National Monuments Service records 338 archaeological sites in Ratoath, putting it at the 67th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for sites per km². This means it is in the top third of all baronies for sites per km². Of these, 246 (73%) fall within a recorded monument protection zone. The record is dominated by defensive sites — ringforts, enclosures, hillforts, and stone forts (101 sites, 30% of the total), with burial and ritual monuments forming a substantial secondary presence (49 sites, 14%). The most diagnostically specific type is Ring-ditch (39 records, 12% of the barony's NMS total) — compared to an ROI average of 6% across all baronies where this type occurs. Ring-ditch is a circular ditch under 20m across, often the ploughed-out remains of a barrow, ring-barrow or roundhouse. The broader 'Enclosure' classification — which catches unclassified ringforts and field enclosures — accounts for a further 55 records (16%) and reflects the difficulty of sub-classifying degraded earthworks from surface evidence alone. Across the barony's 145 km², this gives a recorded density of 2.34 sites per km².
Most common monument types
Hover or tap a monument type to see its definition.
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Enclosure a banked or ditched feature of uncertain type, used as a catch-all where the original function cannot be determined from surface evidence | 55 |
| Ring-ditch a circular ditch under 20m across, often the ploughed-out remains of a barrow, ring-barrow or roundhouse | 39 |
| Ringfort – rath an earthen ringfort enclosed by a bank and external ditch — the most common Early Medieval farmstead, broadly dated 500–1000 AD | 24 |
| Fulacht fia a horseshoe-shaped Bronze Age burnt mound built around a sunken trough beside a water source, traditionally interpreted as a cooking site | 20 |
| Field system a group of related fields forming a coherent agricultural landscape, of any date from the Neolithic onwards | 18 |
| Church a building used for public Christian worship, of any date from c. 500 AD onwards | 12 |
| Kiln a furnace or oven for burning, baking or drying, dated medieval onwards | 12 |
Chronological distribution
The dated archaeological record for Ratoath spans from the Early Bronze Age through to the Modern, with activity attested across 7 of 9 archaeological periods. Every period from earliest to latest is represented in the record — an unbroken sequence of dated activity across the full chronological span. Activity concentrates most heavily in the Iron Age (109 sites, 45% of dated material), with the Middle Late Bronze Age forming a secondary peak (49 sites, 20%). A further 97 recorded sites (29% of the overall NMS register for the barony) carry no period attribution — appearing as 'Unknown' in the bar chart below. This typically reflects either records that pre-date the standardised period vocabulary or sites awaiting specialist dating review, rather than a genuine absence of chronological evidence.
Sample of recorded monuments
Show 25 sample monuments (of 338 total)
A representative sample of 25 recorded monuments drawn from the barony’s 338 total NMS entries. Sites within a recorded monument protection zone and rarer site types are prioritised so the list shows a meaningful cross-section rather than only the most common type. Each entry shows the official Sites and Monuments Record reference number and the description published by the National Monuments Service.
Crannog
Situated in a broad shallow basin that lies between Dunshaughlin and Ratoath and S of the R125 road connecting those villages. Lagore Lough – Lough Gabhair or Goat’s Lake – would have been a large lake (dims c. 3km E-W;…
Situated in a broad shallow basin that lies between Dunshaughlin and Ratoath and S of the R125 road connecting those villages. Lagore Lough – Lough Gabhair or Goat’s Lake – would have been a large lake (dims c. 3km E-W; c. 1km N-S), with an arm extending S (dims c. 1.5km N-S; c. 1km E-W) from its E end. The name Gabhair could be cognate with Gabor – white mare – fraught with mythological meaning (Newman 2011, 28-9). The crannog is located towards the E end of the N arm of the lake, now completely reclaimed. By the seventeenth century the lake is much reduced and is depicted as two lakes on the Down Survey (1656-8) map of County Meath. On this map a long narrow E-W lake is depicted at Little Lagore and is the source of a W-E stream that runs through Ratoath and is one of the sources of the Broad Meadow River. Just E of Lagore Little the larger Lagore Big lake is connected with the E-W stream by a short channel extending N. By the nineteenth century only a canalised W-E stream with its subsidiary drains ran through the N part of the lake, much of which is in Dunshaughlin townland.
The Sil nÁedo Sláine – the seed of Áedh of Slane – were kings of Magh Breag ‘the plain of the cleared hills’, when St Patrick lit the defiant Pascal fire at Slane. Breag was a territory that could have extended as far north as the River Dee in Co. Louth and as far south as the River Tolka in Co. Dublin but, although its W boundary is less certain, the River Boyne was never any form of barrier. A…
House – 16th/17th century
Situated on a level landscape. According to the Civil Survey (1654) in 1641 the manor of Kilbrew with 366 acres was owned by Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, who forfeited the property. On the premises were a stone house in…
Situated on a level landscape. According to the Civil Survey (1654) in 1641 the manor of Kilbrew with 366 acres was owned by Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, who forfeited the property. On the premises were a stone house in ruins, a stable and barn of stone in repair, a stone quarry, an orchard, a church, a water mill and 12 tenements (Simington 1940, 94). The house is represented as a two storey oblong structure with a tower at either end on the Down Survey (1656-8) barony and parish maps. The property was granted to Robert Gorges, who had come to Ireland as the secretary of Henry Cromwell, the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1657-59. Robert’s son, Richard, is thought to have built Kilbrew House (ME038-029001-), a two storey house incorporating the older structure c. 1700. The Gorges family retained the Kilbrew property throughout the eighteenth century but they sold up shortly after the 1798 Rebellion and emigrated to America (Gorges 1944). Kilbrew house was owned by W. Murphy of Dublin in the 1830s (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 54), but it was already derelict.
One E-W wall (L c. 5m; T 0.96m) from the Barnwall structure survives incorporated into a cross-wall of the W wing of the developed Gorges house on the N side. On its S face at the first floor a limestone fireplace (Wth of front 1.35m; Wth of back 1.2m; D 0.85m; H 1.55) with punch-dressing survives complete. It has a flat elliptical mantel with a moulded edge. Its flue projects on the N face of…
Font (present location)
The highly decorated Apostle font (H 0.99m) from Crickstown church (ME039-008—-) is now in the Roman Catholic church at Curraha (ME039-005—-), c. 600m to the NW, and it has been fully described by Roe (1968, 37-45).…
The highly decorated Apostle font (H 0.99m) from Crickstown church (ME039-008—-) is now in the Roman Catholic church at Curraha (ME039-005—-), c. 600m to the NW, and it has been fully described by Roe (1968, 37-45). It is carved in relief but is now covered in a white wash that obscures some detail. The octagonal font (ext. dim. 0.65m; H 0.42m) has a circular basin (int. diam. 0.49m; D 0.27m) with shallow under-panels that are decorated with monstrous heads at the angles separated by leaves. The Crucifixion (Harbison 2000, 35) and the Annunciation are depicted in opposite upper panels, the others being divided into two sections with a full-length figure of an apostle in each compartment. The figures on the shaft (H 0.34m) include St Catherine of Alexandria beneath the Crucifixion and, moving anti-clockwise, St Margaret of Antioch, an abbess, an archbishop and a tonsured abbot with a crozier. These three can be tentatively identified as SS Bridget, Patrick and Columcille, the leading saints of the Irish Church. Next is St John the Baptist, identified by his two-pronged beard, St Michael with a shield, triumphing over Satan as a dragon, and a bishop with mitre and crozier. The base (H 0.23m) is slightly concave and expanding outwards. It is decorated with some fabulous animals connected by a moulding.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have b…
Castle – unclassified
Situated on a level landscape with a slight slope down to the S. The parish church of Crickstown (ME039-008—-) is c. 450m to the E. Sir Patrick Barnwall became the first Baron of Crickstown in 1623. According to the…
Situated on a level landscape with a slight slope down to the S. The parish church of Crickstown (ME039-008—-) is c. 450m to the E. Sir Patrick Barnwall became the first Baron of Crickstown in 1623. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Sir Richard Barnwall owned 403 acres there in 1640, of which nearly 300 acres was a commonage called Currahaeh. On the property were ‘a castle and a stone house ruinous, a church, a mill, an orchard and 10 Tenements’ (Simington 1940, 95). He owned the rest of the parish which included Knavinstowne, Somerstowne (between Hammondtown and Sutherland), Soddorne (Sutherland) and Blackbutter (Blackwater) (ibid. 95-6).
The ground floor of a rectangular building (ext. dims 16m plus N-S; c. 5m N-W) survives, apart from the N wall. It has a barrel-vault and is divided into two chambers (S: int. dims 5.15m N-S; 3.25m E-W; N: int. dims 8m plus N-S; 3.5m E-W) with separate doorways on the E side and a blocked doorway between the chambers. The S chamber has a rectangular window in the E and W walls, and the only feature of the N chamber is a second doorway on the W wall. There is no indication of access to any upper storeys or of garderobes. It is possibly the remains of a seventeenth century house.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael M…
Cross – Market cross
Situated at the W end of the E-W ridge of Ratoath, and at the junction of the Dunshaughlin Road and the Fairyhouse Road, which was the main Dublin road. This is c. 150m W of the motte and would have been at the centre…
Situated at the W end of the E-W ridge of Ratoath, and at the junction of the Dunshaughlin Road and the Fairyhouse Road, which was the main Dublin road. This is c. 150m W of the motte and would have been at the centre of the medieval settlement. This was known as the Market Cross and is noted in gothic lettering on both the 1836 and 1908 editions of the OS 6-inch map, but only the base, described as measuring 2 feet by 2 feet (c. 0.6m x c. 0.6m) and with a circular perforation of 7 or 8 inches (c. 0.2m), survived in the 1830s when funerals circled around it (Herity 2001, 112). This was damaged in 1922 by Black and Tans, and it was replaced in 1932 with a cross commemorating the Eucharistic Congress of that year. The Eucharistic cross was removed c. 1972. It is possible that the reconstructed cross (ME044-034006-) in the graveyard is the market cross. (Bradley and King 1985, 126)
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 17 December 2021
Castle – motte and bailey
Ratoath was retained as a seigniorial manor by Hugh de Lacy and it was inherited by his son Hugh, later the first Earl of Ulster. The grant, which was as extensive as the barony, was confirmed in AD 1198. The castle…
Ratoath was retained as a seigniorial manor by Hugh de Lacy and it was inherited by his son Hugh, later the first Earl of Ulster. The grant, which was as extensive as the barony, was confirmed in AD 1198. The castle (i.e. motte) of Ratour is referenced throughout the thirteenth century. The manor was forfeit in 1210 but returned to Water de Lacy, brother of the Earl, in 1215. The lands and castles in Walter’s charge, including Ratoath, were returned to Hugh de Lacy in 1227, when the right to hold a fair lasting thirteen days at Ratoath was also granted. David FitzWilliam, the baron of Naas, had an interest in Ratoath in 1244 through his wife, Matilda, a daughter of Hugh de Lacy. In 1283 Sir Roger de Clifford, a Welsh baron, sold the manor to Queen Eleanor, the wife of Edward I. Ratoath had probably been granted to Roger by King Edward, and Eleanor almost immediately granted the manor to Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, known as the Red Earl.
An inquisition in 1333 found William de Burgh, a grandson of Richard, possessed of the manor of Ratoath at his death, and he had held it in capite from the King. The manor had no buildings, but its site is described as surrounded by a square ditch, and this suggests that the motte and bailey was abandoned at this time. The burgesses of Ratoath paid over £6 in yearly rent, indicating that the settlement had over a hundred heads of households. About 360 acres was held in demesne, as well as 160 acres at Betaghsland, meaning the nati…
Settlement deserted – medieval
Situated in a slight hollow in a gently undulating landscape. Vertical aerial photographs (GSIAP: N 294-5) from the 1970s show earthworks which had been reclaimed by 1985, although features were visible as parch marks…
Situated in a slight hollow in a gently undulating landscape. Vertical aerial photographs (GSIAP: N 294-5) from the 1970s show earthworks which had been reclaimed by 1985, although features were visible as parch marks in pasture (SMR file). Six rectangular house sites (dims c. 6m x c. 4m) could be seen in differential vegetation. Also there were remains of rectangular enclosures (dims. c. 30m x 20m) covering an area of about 5 acres (c. 2 ha) with a sunken roadway (Wth c. 7m) running N-S, to the W of the settlement.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 22 November 2021
Historic town
Ratoath is situated on a locally prominent hill with a W-E section of the Broad Meadow River just to the S. The name, signifying the ‘fort of Thó’ or what is more likely ‘O thuaidh (North)’, is the only indication of a…
Ratoath is situated on a locally prominent hill with a W-E section of the Broad Meadow River just to the S. The name, signifying the ‘fort of Thó’ or what is more likely ‘O thuaidh (North)’, is the only indication of a pre-Anglo-Norman presence and a rath may be incorporated into the base of the motte. This area was retained by Hugh de Lacy in the Anglo-Norman settlement of Meath after 1171. He granted the churches of Dunshaughlin and Ratoath to St Thomas’ Augustinian abbey (DU018-020051-) before 1183, and the rectory of Ratoath was still amongst the possessions of St Thomas’ at its suppression in 1540 (White 1943, 35). On Hugh’s death in 1186 Meath was inherited by his son Walter who granted the baronies of Morgallion and Ratoath to his brother Hugh before 1198. The younger Hugh probably built the motte and bailey, and he may have granted a charter to Ratoath c. 1200. This Hugh became the first Earl of Ulster in 1205 after he had taken over the de Courcy lordship. (Orpen 1921, 69)
The castle (i.e. motte) of Ratour or Ratouth is referred to frequently in the thirteenth century. The manor was forfeited by Hugh in 1210 but it was returned to Walter de Lacy in 1215. The lands and castles in Walter’s charge including Ratoath were seized by the King again in 1224 but they were returned to Hugh de Lacy in 1227, when the right to hold a fair lasting thirteen days at Ratoath was also granted. David FitzWilliam, the baron of Naas, had an interest in Ratoath in 1244 through his wif…
Ritual site – holy tree/bush
Situated on a level landscape and on a small NE-SW roadway c. 1km SW of Batterstown village. A bush, described as the ‘Monument Bush’ in italic script is depicted in the roadway on the 1835 edition of the OS 6-inch map,…
Situated on a level landscape and on a small NE-SW roadway c. 1km SW of Batterstown village. A bush, described as the ‘Monument Bush’ in italic script is depicted in the roadway on the 1835 edition of the OS 6-inch map, but it had been removed by the start of the next century as it is described as the site of the monument bush on the 1908 edition. According to the OS letters of the 1830s funerals were carried in procession around the Big Tree in Rathregan and the Monument Bush, but there was no explanation of the name (Herity 2001, 114). In the folk tradition it was regarded as a Mass bush where Mass was celebrated in Penal times (IFC Schools’ Collection vol. 0687, P 316). The roadway with its banks and hedges is still slightly wider at this point.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 9 December 2021
Castle – tower house
Situated on a slight bluff on the flood-plain of the Broad Meadow River with a W-E section of the stream c. 30m to the N, and Killegland parish church (ME045-004—-) is c. 340m to the S. The castle is at a ford…
Situated on a slight bluff on the flood-plain of the Broad Meadow River with a W-E section of the stream c. 30m to the N, and Killegland parish church (ME045-004—-) is c. 340m to the S. The castle is at a ford (ME045-005002-) of the river, described as ‘stepping stones’ on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map. The castle is thought to have been built by a member of the Walter Wafre family who may have held Killegland from the early thirteenth century. The church had been granted to the Augustinian abbey of St. Thomas’ (DU018-020051-) by Hugh de Lacy, and this was endorsed in later grants up to the early thirteenth century (Gilbert 1889, 8, 11, 26, 45-6), one of which, probably from the 1190s, mentions a mill and fish stocks. The church was still in the possession of St Thomas’ at its suppression in in 1540 (White 1943, 36).
The castle is thought to have been built by a member of the Wafre or Wafer family. In 1427 the castle and manor of the Wafres passed to Patrick Segrave through marriage with the heiress Mary Wafre. When he died, or was murdered, in 1453 his son Richard inherited Killegland and Baltrasna after a struggle. Richard died in 1494 and the property passed to his son John (ob. 1532). Then John’s younger son, Richard, held the property until his death in 1543. Richard married firstly Elizabeth Dowdall but his second wife, Jannet Eustace, held land in Cabragh, Co. Dublin, and this established a second branch of the family there. The Killegland property pas…
Tomb – effigial
Recorded by Hunt (1974, i, 213) as follows: 'Just to the south of the church-tower in the old graveyard in Ratoath is the effigy of a knight with his head upon a tasseled cushion, with remains of foliate decoration in…
Recorded by Hunt (1974, i, 213) as follows: 'Just to the south of the church-tower in the old graveyard in Ratoath is the effigy of a knight with his head upon a tasseled cushion, with remains of foliate decoration in relief upon the edge of the slab at this position. He is armed in mail over which can be seen a surcoat to the knee, belted at the waist and having a round neck. The coif was apparently thrown back from the head which has a basin-cut chevelure. The cushion is represented as if it had folds radiating from the head. The hands lie one upon the sword-grip and the other on the sword below. The sword has a large pommel and a short cross. Some object, perhaps part of the strap of the sword-mounting appears below the belt and descends down beside the sword. The legs are missing from below the knee. On the south side of the tapered slab is a badly worked inscription in Lombardic characters of which the following letters can be read [some of which are doubtful]: 'ORATE / PANIUM (?) . . . ALME(?) FILI FABRI . . . ' As far as can be seen despite the worn condition of the stone, the date must be late thirteenth or early fourteenth century.'
See attached image.
Date of upload: 20 December 2011
Cross – Churchyard cross
This cross is situated inside the S wall of the old graveyard attached to the site of the medieval church of Ratoath (ME044-034003-). It was reconstructed under the direction of Fr. Peter Mulvany, who was a curate at…
This cross is situated inside the S wall of the old graveyard attached to the site of the medieval church of Ratoath (ME044-034003-). It was reconstructed under the direction of Fr. Peter Mulvany, who was a curate at Ratoath (1970-83), from pieces in the graveyard (Ratoath Heritage 2008, 56). The reconstruction is accurate, although a piece might be missing from beneath the crux. It is a late medieval latin cross (H 1.49m; span 0.44m) with octagonal cross-sections on the shaft (dims 0.22m x 0.2m) and the arms (H 0.25m; Wth 0.2m). There is a mortice on top of the stem and pyramidal stops at its base which is set into a rectangular block (dims 0.65m x 0.62m; H 0.2m) with a hammer-dressed finish. The cross has no inscription but it is possible that it is the Market Cross (ME044-034008-) which has been missing for almost 200 years.
See attached image.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 7 April, 2015
Amended: 9 December 2021
Linear earthwork
Located within the town of Ratoath, between the motte and bailey and the church. Archaeological monitoring (01E1173) by F. O’Carroll of the line of a sewer under the footpath (D c. 06.-1.6m) adjacent to the extended…
Located within the town of Ratoath, between the motte and bailey and the church. Archaeological monitoring (01E1173) by F. O’Carroll of the line of a sewer under the footpath (D c. 06.-1.6m) adjacent to the extended graveyard (ME044-034017-) and on the line of a new road constructed in 1795 identified a number of features including an open linear ditch (excavations.ie 2001: 1042). The layer of blue/grey compact earth beneath the road surface dips into a wide trench (Wth 1.8m plus) which was not bottomed (D 1m plus) but has straight sides. The large ditch appears to be running WNW-ESE and is aligned with a substantial WNW-ESE drain that is mapped c. 150m to the W and c. 100m to the E on the 1908 edition of the OS 6-inch map and which is still partly open. It is possible that this ditch marked the N boundary of the medieval settlement and that smaller cuts that appeared in the section are the boundaries of the burgage plots as recorded on the OS 6-inch maps. No artefacts were recovered from these features but post-medieval pottery was recorded from the closing layer of this larger ditch. (O’Carroll 2002, 11)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 9 December 2021
O’Carroll, F. 2002 Archaeological monitoring at Kentstown Road, Ratoath, Co. Meath. Licence No. 01E1173. Unpublished report, CRDS
Pit
Situated on a gentle NE-facing slope in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (03E1355) by D. Bonner identified archaeological features in Area 14 of the N2 Finglas to Ashbourne road and bypass (Bonner…
Situated on a gentle NE-facing slope in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (03E1355) by D. Bonner identified archaeological features in Area 14 of the N2 Finglas to Ashbourne road and bypass (Bonner and Bartlett 2003) which were completely excavated by C. Murray under the same licence (excavations.ie 2004:1239). This is a subcircular pit (dims 0.86m NW-SE; 0.74m NE-SW; max. D 0.35m) with vertical sides and a rounded base. It was filled with a mottled grey/orange clay with charcoal flecking and fragments of animal bone, some of which was burnt. It also contained 13 piece of flint debitage, some burnt, including a fragment of a scraper. A fragment of a thumbnail scarper had been found in the original testing. There was a small spread of burnt material (dims 0.75m x 0.55m; T 0.01m) c. 2m to the NW. A sample from the pit produced a C14 date of 2290-2020 cal. BC. (Murray 2008)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 17 December 2021
Industrial site
Located on a slight N-facing slope in a gently undulating landscape extending into a wet hollow at N. A geophysical survey (02R0051) by GBS Prospection of Area 22 ahead of a proposed N2 bypass for Ashbourne identified…
Located on a slight N-facing slope in a gently undulating landscape extending into a wet hollow at N. A geophysical survey (02R0051) by GBS Prospection of Area 22 ahead of a proposed N2 bypass for Ashbourne identified potential archaeological features in the vicinity of a rath (ME045-002—-). Archaeological features were identified in testing (03E1327) by D. Bonner in 2003 and these were excavated from mid-April to mid-June 2004 within the road-take by L. McGowan (2009) under the same licence (excavations.ie 2004:1269). The testing and excavation revealed that many of the potential features were natural hollows but two waterholes or wells were excavated, while an industrial kiln and its associated pits was only partially excavated.
An area with kilns or furnaces connected with metal production was situated c. 80m NE of rath (ME045-002—-). Three furnace-bottoms extend into a closed well or waterhole from the S, W and N sides and represent three closely related phases of activity as they shared some fills. Copper and copper alloy material was recovered from the area as well as siliceous waste that might have been associated with glass production. The S feature (dims 1.82m x 0.65m; D 0.2m) had six fills and a sample from one produced a C14 date of 90 cal. BC to cal. AD 80. The second (dims c. 1.7m x 0.8m; D 0.2m) was at the W of the well and had four fills. Alder charcoal from the bottom of the third furnace (dims 1.6m x 0.75m; D 0.13m) extending NW of the well produce…
Watchman's hut – burial ground
Situated on the crest of an E-W ridge. The NE angle of the nave of Greenoge parish church (ME045-018—-) was re-modelled in the 18th century with the insertion of a two-storey watch-house (int. dims 3.25m E-W; 2.44m…
Situated on the crest of an E-W ridge. The NE angle of the nave of Greenoge parish church (ME045-018—-) was re-modelled in the 18th century with the insertion of a two-storey watch-house (int. dims 3.25m E-W; 2.44m N-S) inside the nave. This was accomplished by converting an embrasure towards the E end of the N nave wall into a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.93m), although the embrasure can be seen rising above it to the first floor of the new structure. The rectangular window (Wth 0.42m; H 0.7m) with an external chamfer just to the E of the new doorway, which is associated with the rood loft of the church, was converted into a narrow light such as those (Wth 7cm; H 22cm) in the newly-constructed W and S walls of the watch-house, which block half the chancel-arch. An internal ladder would allow access to the first floor, which was supported on joists set directly into the S and N walls. The narrower new walls rise above the original nave walls. The first floor has a fireplace in the W wall and a light at its S end that re-uses the head of a cusped ogee-headed window, a rectangular window in the N wall and lights angled to the SW, S and SE in the S wall.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of revision: 8 April 2015
Mill – unclassified
Situated on a S-facing slope down to the W-E Broad Meadow River and partly incorporated into a field bank which is c. 15-50m from the stream. A mill and related works pertaining to fish are recorded at Killegland in…
Situated on a S-facing slope down to the W-E Broad Meadow River and partly incorporated into a field bank which is c. 15-50m from the stream. A mill and related works pertaining to fish are recorded at Killegland in land grants from the late twelfth to the early thirteenth century (Gilbert 1889, 45-6, 50). The messauge of Hugo the tenant miller is also mentioned in these documents. According to the Civil Survey (1654) a mill was still on the property in 1641 (Simington 1940, 98). A topographical survey identified the mil-race (visible L 100m plus), and three depressions between it and the stream at its W end are likely to be the fish-ponds (ME045-041001-).
Archaeological testing (02E1728) by W. Frazer confirmed the mill-race as a straight-sided ditch (Wth 3-3.4m; max. D 1.5m at S), with the upcast forming a low earthen bank (Wth of base 4.05m; H 0.3m) on its S side (excavations.ie 2003:1346). There is a shallow drainage ditch (Wth of top c. 2m; D 0.3m) on the S side of this bank. The primary fill of the shallow ditch and the S side of the bank were covered by a dense silt layer (D 0.15m), indicating at least one serious inundation from the river. The mill-race was not stone-lined and therefore this section was probably not close to the mill house, although the enclosed messauge (ME045-072—-) on the N side at the E edge of the development area may have been the miller’s house. Medieval pottery was recovered from the primary silts at the W end of the mill-race but most…
Cross
The rectangular base of a cross (dims 0.85-0.88m x 0.7m; H 0.24-0.27m) with a socket (dims 0.28m x 0.22m; D 0.2m) is on top of a gate-pier at the original entrance of the graveyard (ME045-018001-) of Greenoge parish…
The rectangular base of a cross (dims 0.85-0.88m x 0.7m; H 0.24-0.27m) with a socket (dims 0.28m x 0.22m; D 0.2m) is on top of a gate-pier at the original entrance of the graveyard (ME045-018001-) of Greenoge parish church at the NW angle (Feeley 2001, 37).
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 11 September, 2015
Bawn
Situated on a slight bluff on the flood-plain of the Broad Meadow River with a W-E section of it c. 30m to the N, and Killegland parish church (ME045-004—-) is c. 340m to the S. The castle is at a ford (ME045-005002-)…
Situated on a slight bluff on the flood-plain of the Broad Meadow River with a W-E section of it c. 30m to the N, and Killegland parish church (ME045-004—-) is c. 340m to the S. The castle is at a ford (ME045-005002-) of the river, described as ‘stepping stones’ on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map. Archaeological testing (02E0708) by W. O. Frazer identified a double-faced wall (Wth 2m) with a cobbled surface on its E side that is probably the SW wall of the castle (O’Donovan and Frazer 2002, 14). A bawn is not mentioned in any of the sources but further testing (17E0335) by J. Stirland discovered a demolition layer of the castle in the form of mortar and slates found at several places overlying paved or cobbled surfaces. In addition fragments of mortared rubble-core faced walls (Wth 0.8-1m) were encountered at various points and their distribution suggests that they may have been from a rectangular enclosure or bawn (dims c. 20m NE-SW; c. 15m NW-SE) around the castle. What might be the base of a protruding rectangular tower at the N angle was partially uncovered. (Stirland 2017)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 13 December 2021
O’Donovan, E. and Frazer, W. O. 2002 Phase II – Archaeological Assessment Ashbourne Town Centre Development, Killegland, Co. Meath. Licence: 02E0708. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co.
Ford
Located in the valley of the meandering W-E Broad Meadow River, on a SW-NE portion of the stream and c. 40m NW of Killegland castle (ME045-005—-). The castle would have been located here to overlook the crossing point…
Located in the valley of the meandering W-E Broad Meadow River, on a SW-NE portion of the stream and c. 40m NW of Killegland castle (ME045-005—-). The castle would have been located here to overlook the crossing point of the river, which is depicted on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map as a narrow causeway and described as ‘Stepping stones’. Archaeological testing (03E1902) by F. O’Carroll for a sewer pipe at the river crossing identified a layer of stone cobbling (Wth 6m plus; T 0.1m) beneath silt and modern backfill (excavations.ie 2003:1347). The cobbling was built around larger boulders embedded in the subsoil and there were fifteen contexts above the cobbling. The bases of two rough stone piers were found on the cobbling on the S side of the river, and these would constrict access to the ford. Evidence of the cobbling was also found on the N bank of the river but its full extent in every direction was not revealed, although a SW edge might be represented by a line of boulders. Finds were few but included a flint scraper, what is probably a musket ball, a clay pipe stem and modern material, but it is thought that the cobbling is medieval and related to the use of the castle. (O’Carroll 2004)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 13 December 2021
O’Carroll, F. 2004 Archaeological assessment in advance of the development of the proposed Ashbourne Sewerage Scheme, Ashbourne, Co. Meath. Licence No. 03E1902. Unpublished report, CRDS
Fish-pond
Located on a gentle S-facing slope on the N bank of the Broad Meadow River and c. 15m from the stream. The church at Killegland (ME045-004—-) had been granted to the Augustinian abbey of St. Thomas’ (DU018-020051-) by…
Located on a gentle S-facing slope on the N bank of the Broad Meadow River and c. 15m from the stream. The church at Killegland (ME045-004—-) had been granted to the Augustinian abbey of St. Thomas’ (DU018-020051-) by Hugh de Lacy, and this was endorsed in later grants up to the early thirteenth century (Gilbert 1889, 8, 11, 26, 45-6), one of which, probably from the 1190s, mentions a mill and fish stocks.
The ponds are depicted on the 1836 and 1908 editions of the OS 6-inch map. A topographical survey identified three connected hollows in an ENE-WSW line this area. At the W end a rectangular depression (dims c. 10m x c. 10m) is fed by a broad leat (Wth c. 5m) from the river approaching from the SW. About 5m to the E and fed by a leat from the W pond is a larger rectangular pond (dims c. 15m x c. 15m) that merges into the third pond (dims c. 45m ENE-WSW; c. 15m NNW-SSE), which connects with the stream again. (Frazer 2007, fig. 7)
See the attached plan from Frazer (2007, fig. 7)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 21 December 2021
House – 17th/18th century
Situated on a level landscape. The Barnwall property associated with the house (ME038-029—-) was granted to Robert Gorges, who had come to Ireland as the secretary of Henry Cromwell, the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell…
Situated on a level landscape. The Barnwall property associated with the house (ME038-029—-) was granted to Robert Gorges, who had come to Ireland as the secretary of Henry Cromwell, the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1657-59. Robert’s son, Richard, is thought to have built Kilbrew House c. 1700. The Gorges family retained the Kilbrew property throughout the eighteenth century but they sold up shortly after the 1798 Rebellion and emigrated to America (Gorges 1944). Kilbrew house was owned by W. Murphy of Dublin in the 1830s (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 54), but by then it was already derelict.
The house built by Robert Gorges c. 1700 is a two storey oblong block (int. dims 23.45m E-W; 5.8m N-S) with masonry walls (T c. 0.6-0.8m). It is a nine bay house with tall narrow windows that only survive on the first floor as the building was adapted for agricultural purposes in the twentieth century when narrow lights were inserted in the ground floor walls. The first floor might have been supported on corbels and the stumps of two survive in the S wall. There is no evidence of original fireplaces or of a stairs, but the original entrance may have been in the centre of the S wall at the first floor. The Barnwall house (ME038-029—-) was attached on the N side at its W end. A north wing was added at the E end to balance this and both these wings were supplemented with round towers added to the N ends. According to the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map an…
Enclosure – large enclosure
Situated on a fairly level landscape with a canalised ESE-WNW section of the River Hurley just to the N, and on what was the demesne of Kilbrew House. This is a large subcircular grass-covered enclosure (dims c. 220m…
Situated on a fairly level landscape with a canalised ESE-WNW section of the River Hurley just to the N, and on what was the demesne of Kilbrew House. This is a large subcircular grass-covered enclosure (dims c. 220m N-S; c. 200m E-W) defined by a scarp (H 1-1.2m) with a wide fosse (Wth of top 12.5m; int. D 1m; ext. D 1.2m) NW-NNW. There is no visible entrance. The perimeter is skirted at E by a N-S track extending S to the site of Kilbrew church (ME038-023—-) c. 140m to the S. This track is depicted on the OS 6-inch maps (1836, 1908) and is visible as a sunken hollow way (Wth of top 9m; D 0.5-1m). There was a possible house platform (dims 8m x 8m) outside the fosse at NW, but this area was subsequently obscured by introduced soils.
A geophysical survey (13R0118) confirmed the in-filing and raising of ground level outside the enclosure at N against the bank of the river but failed to identify any archaeological features. However, it highlighted the hollow way and identified two ring-ditches in the interior of the large enclosure, one with a central pit, and other anomalies. Archaeological testing (13E0466) by R. Meenan (2014) confirmed the build-up of redeposited soils outside the enclosure at N but no earlier archaeological features were noted. Nor was there any metaled surface for the old roadway. However, the presence of the two ring-ditches (ME038-054—-; ME038-055—-) was also confirmed. (Meenan 2014)
The above description is derived from the published…
Ritual site – holy well
Situated on a slight E-facing slope in a field that was known as ‘Boylan’s Garden’ or ‘The Meenauns’, it is one of the sources of the W-E Broad Meadow River that flows to the Irish Sea through Ratoath and Ashbourne. St…
Situated on a slight E-facing slope in a field that was known as ‘Boylan’s Garden’ or ‘The Meenauns’, it is one of the sources of the W-E Broad Meadow River that flows to the Irish Sea through Ratoath and Ashbourne. St Sechnall’s Well is mentioned by Isaac Butler (1892, 16-7) in 1749 when it was described as sulphurous and surrounded by trees. The OS Letters from the 1830s recorded that a whitethorn grew by the well but the patron had not been held within living memory (Herity 2001, 103). The patron, held on the Sunday following the saint’s feastday, the 27th November, had been revived by the 1920s when the whitethorn was still present at the edge of the well. There was a cure for swellings on any part of the body by the application of a poultice made from clay and the well water applied for nine days, but no offerings were left at the well. The pattern was discontinued before these details were recorded in the 1930’s (IFC: Schools Collection, vol. 0687, 249), but the well is still extant as a circular water-filled hollow although the area is overgrown (French 2012, 63-4).
Enclosure
Located on a low NW-SE ridge. This monument is depicted as a D-shaped embanked enclosure backing onto the townland boundary with Mullinam at E and S, and with an internal oval quarry pit on the 1836 edition of the OS…
Located on a low NW-SE ridge. This monument is depicted as a D-shaped embanked enclosure backing onto the townland boundary with Mullinam at E and S, and with an internal oval quarry pit on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map where it is described as a ‘Fort’. It is represented as a D-shaped hachured feature backing onto the townland boundary on the 1908 edition. The N and W boundaries were removed in the 1960s when bones were said to have been found. It was described in 1969 (SMR file) as a subrectangular area (dims c. 73m NW-SE; c. 30m NE-SW) that was stony at its N edge. A house had been built on it by 1995 (OSIAP).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 22 November 2021
Listed buildings
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is a state survey appraising buildings of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social, or technical interest. Each surveyed structure receives a rating from International (the highest, for buildings of European importance) through National, Regional, Local, and Record-Only.
The NIAH records only 31 listed buildings in Ratoath, the 14th percentile across ROI baronies — a relatively thin architectural record. All recorded buildings carry Regional or lower grading; the barony does not contain any structures appraised as being of National or International architectural importance. Construction dates concentrate most heavily in the Victorian (1830-1900) period. The most-recorded building type is church/chapel (8 examples, 26% of the listed stock).
Terrain and environment
Mean elevation across the barony is 86m — the 47th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for elevation. This means it is in the lower half of all baronies for elevation. Elevation matters for heritage because higher-altitude baronies typically favour defensive monuments — ringforts and hilltop forts placed on prominent ground — while lowland baronies are more likely to carry the dense settlement and church networks of intensive agricultural landscapes. Mean slope is 1.9° — the 3rd percentile among 280 ROI baronies for slope. This means it is in the bottom tenth of all baronies for slope. This is broadly flat terrain, the kind of landscape best suited to intensive agriculture. Slope is a key control on both land use and archaeological preservation: steep ground resists ploughing and tends to preserve earthworks intact, while gentle slopes favour intensive cultivation that damages or destroys surface archaeology over time. The Topographic Wetness Index averages 11.9, the 95th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for wetness. This means it is in the top tenth of all baronies for wetness. This is wet, slow-draining ground by ROI standards — the kind of landscape that may carry waterlogged archaeological sites of unusual preservation value. Drainage matters for heritage because poorly-drained ground preserves organic archaeology (wooden trackways, leather, textiles, and on rare occasions human remains) far better than free-draining soil; well-drained ground favours arable use but destroys organic material rapidly. The land-cover mosaic combines improved grassland (64%), arable farmland (24%), and woodland (8%), giving a mixed agricultural and semi-natural landscape.
Terrain measurements
Where this barony sits in the Republic of Ireland
Geology and preservation
Bedrock geology shapes the landscape long before any settlement begins — controlling soil drainage, agricultural potential, the survival of upstanding monuments, and the preservation of buried archaeology. The figures below come from the Geological Survey Ireland 1:100,000 bedrock map.
The bedrock underlying Ratoath is predominantly limestone (100% of the barony by area), laid down during the Carboniferous period (100% by area, around 359 to 299 million years ago). Limestone is the most heritage-rich bedrock in Ireland. It supports fertile, well-drained soils that favoured dense Early Medieval settlement and Norman manorial agriculture, and it weathers into karst features — sinkholes, caves, swallow holes, and souterrains — that frequently carry archaeology. Where peat overlies limestone, organic preservation can be exceptional. The single largest mapped unit is the Lucan Formation (72% of the barony's bedrock). With only 1 distinct rock type mapped, the barony is geologically uniform compared to the rest of the Republic (2nd percentile for diversity) — a single coherent bedrock landscape.
Largest mapped unit: Lucan Formation (72% of the barony)
Placename evidence
Logainm records 25 heritage-diagnostic placenames for Ratoath, drawn from townland and civil-parish names across the barony. The dominant stratum is Early Christian ecclesiastical — cill-, teampall-, and domhnach-prefixed names that record the dense network of early church foundations established between the fifth and tenth centuries. The leading diagnostic roots are ráth- (8 — earthen ringfort), cill- (6 — church), and gráinseach- (4 — grange). This is broadly in line with the ROI average of 30.7 heritage placenames per barony. The presence of multiple heritage strata side by side indicates layered occupation of the landscape across successive prehistoric and historic periods. Logainm records 140 placenames for Ratoath (predominantly townland names). Of these, 25 (18%) carry one of the diagnostic Gaelic roots tracked above; the remainder draw on more generic landscape vocabulary that does not encode a heritage period.
Pre-Christian / Early Medieval Defensive
| Root | Count | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ráth- | 8 | earthen ringfort |
| dún- | 2 | hilltop or promontory fort |
| lios- | 1 | ringfort or enclosure |
Early Christian Ecclesiastical
| Root | Count | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cill- | 6 | church (early) |
| gráinseach- | 4 | monastic farm / grange |
| domhnach- | 3 | pre-Patrician or earliest Patrician church |
Burial, Ritual, and Norse-Contact
| Root | Count | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| carn- | 1 | cairn |
Other baronies in Meath
- Moyfenrath Lower
- Navan Upper
- Navan Lower
- Dunboyne
- Kells Upper
- Skreen
- Morgallion
- Ballyadams — Laois
- Ida — Kilkenny
- Upperwoods — Laois
See all 280 baronies in the Republic of Ireland Heritage Tool.
Explore further
Grounding History: 10 Maps of Northern Ireland’s Past
If you’re interested in Irish heritage more widely, the companion report for Northern Ireland brings together the analysis of all 462 NI wards into one place through 10 high-quality maps — covering monument density, archaeological periods, placename heritage, terrain, wetland, and the historic landscape at first survey. Take a look.
About this profile
Click any section below to expand.
What is a barony?
A barony is a historic administrative unit in Ireland, broadly equivalent to an English hundred. The 280 baronies used here are from the OSi 2019 National Statutory Boundaries (generalised 20m), covering the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. Baronies derive from the Norman period, were formalised in the 17th century, and have not been redrawn for statistical purposes. They vary enormously in area, from compact urban baronies in Dublin to vast upland baronies in Connacht, and should not be compared by raw site count without accounting for area differences.
What counts as a site?
This profile combines three distinct heritage registers, each with its own definition of what constitutes a recordable site:
- Archaeological sites (NMS). The National Monuments Service Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) catalogues every known archaeological monument or site of archaeological interest in the Republic, from prehistoric burial mounds and ringforts to medieval churches and post-medieval defensive works. Inclusion does not require legal protection — only that the site has been identified, surveyed, and assessed as having archaeological value. A separate subset of these sites lies within a recorded protection zone, which gives them statutory protection under the National Monuments Acts.
- Listed buildings (NIAH). The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records buildings of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social, or technical interest. Each surveyed structure is appraised on a five-tier scale: International, National, Regional, Local, and Record-Only. The NIAH appraisal is informational rather than strictly statutory, but it underpins local-authority Record of Protected Structures (RPS) listings.
- Heritage placenames (Logainm). Logainm is the authoritative database of Irish placenames maintained by the Placenames Branch. This profile applies a heritage-diagnostic classifier to the Irish-language form of each townland name, flagging roots that signal defensive sites (ráth-, lios-, dún-, caiseal-, cathair-), ecclesiastical foundations (cill-, teampall-, domhnach-, mainistir-), prehistoric burial-ritual features (tuaim-, carn-, leaba-), or Norse-contact settlement (gall-). Townlands without one of these diagnostic roots are not flagged here — they may still carry historical significance, but that significance is not encoded in the name itself.
Editorial principles
The narrative sections of this profile follow several explicit principles:
- Evidential. Every claim about this barony’s heritage character is anchored in the underlying register data. Where a site count, a placename count, or a percentile rank is cited, it is computed from the source datasets at export time, not estimated.
- Comparative. Counts and metrics are reported alongside their percentile rank against the other 279 ROI baronies. A barony with 50 ringforts in absolute terms could be unusually high or unusually low depending on its size and regional context; percentile ranking removes that ambiguity.
- Transparent on limits. Where a register has known coverage gaps, survey biases, or data-quality issues that affect this barony’s figures, the profile flags them rather than presenting the numbers as definitive.
- No interpretation beyond what the data supports. The narrative does not speculate about historical events, social dynamics, or cultural meaning beyond what the recorded heritage and placename evidence directly attests.
Data caveats and limits
- NMS Sites and Monuments Record is the product of survey campaigns conducted at different intensities across different counties and decades. Some baronies have been surveyed more thoroughly than others, and absolute counts should be read in that light. Sites destroyed by development before survey are typically not represented; sites in heavily forested or upland terrain are sometimes under-recorded.
- NIAH coverage is broadly complete for the Republic of Ireland but the survey was conducted on a rolling county-by-county basis, and the most recent appraisal date varies. Buildings demolished or substantially altered after their original survey may still appear in the register; conversely, recent buildings of merit may not yet have been appraised.
- Logainm classification applies a deliberately conservative pattern-matching approach to the Irish-language townland forms. The classifier prioritises true positives over recall: a townland may carry a heritage signal that the classifier doesn’t recognise, particularly where the diagnostic root has been heavily anglicised or where the townland name draws on a less common term. The 60,000+ townland records and ~9,800 classified placenames give a substantial signal at barony scale, but individual townland names should be checked against Logainm directly for definitive interpretation.
- Period attribution. The chronological distribution reflects only those NMS sites that carry a recognised period attribution in the source data. Sites listed as “Unknown” period are excluded from the dated subset.
- Boundary changes. Some baronies have undergone minor boundary adjustments since their 19th-century definition; the OSi 2019 generalised boundaries used here are the current statutory definition and may differ slightly from historical maps in border areas.
- Bedrock geology is mapped at 1:100,000 scale, which means local variation within a barony — small pockets of different rock type, mineral veins, alluvium overlying bedrock — is generalised. The dominant-system and rocktype figures are area-weighted, so a barony reading “70% Carboniferous limestone” may still contain small but archaeologically important pockets of older or younger rock. Around 3% of GSI polygons do not match the lexicon and contribute no rocktype or system attribution.
Data sources
- National Monuments Service — Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) https://data.gov.ie/dataset/national-monuments-service-archaeological-survey-of-ireland
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) https://data.gov.ie/dataset/national-inventory-of-architectural-heritage-niah-national-dataset
- Logainm — Placenames Database of Ireland https://www.logainm.ie/
- Ordnance Survey Ireland — National Statutory Barony Boundaries 2019 https://data-osi.opendata.arcgis.com/
- EURODEM — European Digital Elevation Model https://www.mapsforeurope.org/datasets/euro-dem
- ESA WorldCover https://esa-worldcover.org/en
- Geological Survey Ireland — 1:100,000 Bedrock Geology https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/data-and-maps/Pages/Bedrock.aspx
Explore more: Search any of the 280 ROI baronies, browse by historical province, or read the methodology and data sources for the full Republic of Ireland Heritage Tool.