County: Mayo Site name: AGHTABOY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 81:29 Licence number: 98E0505
Author: Leo Morahan
Site type: Ringfort - rath
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 542465m, N 785515m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.815974, -8.873692
This proposed development, of a house and shed at Aghtaboy, Knock, Co. Mayo, was allowed within 6m of a univallate rath, situated in the adjacent field to north. The rath is enclosed by an earthen bank, with no indication of a fosse.
Four trenches were opened on 22–3 December 1998. Within those trenches closest to the monument the outside of a fosse was encountered. Although only a short stretch was encountered, it was at a distance of c. 4m parallel to the bank of the fort. It has been cut into the boulder clay, and, while no width measurement could be obtained from the cutting, it is at least 0.8m deep into the boulder clay. A stony, dark clay layer fills much of the upper part of the fosse, with a yellowish mixture of clay and daub beneath.
In other trenches, beneath the topsoil was a light brown, fine clay, in which was a good scatter of unworked chert and white quartz.
In the light of the findings the house is in the process of being repositioned.
James Street, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo
