rathgall hill fort

A fine stone fort built on a small hillock. There are three concentric stone walls with ditches outside them placed at various distances apart. Excavations have shown that the innermost wall was a kind of citadel, and was built later than the other walls; it dates to the medieval period or later. The fort was probably built in the early centuries of the Christian era. It has been tentatively identified as a seat of the kings of South Leinster. Excavations also provided evidence that Rathgall was an important centre for casting bronze during the later Bronze Age, c.700 B.C.