The Irish Ringfort

by Matthew Stout

This book examines all aspects of Irish ringforts – their shape and size, their date and function – with special attention to national distribution patterns. Reference to contemporary written sources brings to the fore the people who dwelt within ringforts and their relationships with neighbouring farmsteads and religious communities. This study focuses on the lives and material remains of people who are often neglected in historical studies – men and women who were not the saints of official history. The Irish Ringfort is the first book to avail itself of the new all-Ireland database of ringforts compiled by the archaeological surveys of the Office of Public Works and the Heritage Service (DOE NI). Nationwide patterns are illustrated through a re-examination of earlier studies. What emerges is a consistent pattern of settlement that illuminates aspects of early Christian society, especially the relationship between individuals of varying status and the settlement determinants of both secular and ecclesiastical establishments.

Genres: History, Irish Literature

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 1997

About the author

Dr. Matthew Stout is a lecturer in the Department of History, St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, in Ireland. His areas of interest include the Irish landscape, Early Medieval Ireland, Medieval archaeology, and international historiography. He is co-general editor of the Irish landscapes series published by Cork University Press, and co-director of a programme of excavations at Knowth (Site M) in County Meath.

Reviews

[Diarmuid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry as a bone, but there’s some really fascinating information. Good start for further reading.

[wayne john mcauliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to know how my Irish ancestors lived. This informative little read helps me a bit. This book can come across a little dry and academic but it gives you all the info. What i liked best is how it showed the different levels of society back then. I`m sure my lot would of been of the poor majority but at least they got me here. Hope they had their own cool Rath/Roundhouse. Slainte mhath.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive but dry. Not a pleasure read by any stretch, but tons of information!