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Ringfort facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Stone Fort Inishmaan
A ring fort on Inishman
Staigue Fort - Kerry
Staigue fort in County Kerry

A ring fort is a fortified settlement. Ring forts were made to protect villages, mostly in the Middle Ages. In Ireland where many such forts can be found, they are also known as ráth, caiseal, cathair and dún in the early Irish sources.

A ráth (anglicised rath), was made of earth, caiseal (northwestern Ireland, anglicised cashel) and cathair (southwestern Ireland) were built of stone. A dun is a more prestigious site, the seat of some kind of ruler, the term is applied to promontory forts as well.

Images for kids

  • Multivallate Ringfort at Rathrar (Rathbarna Enclosure Complex), Co Roscommon, Ireland

    The ringfort at Rathrar in County Roscommon, Ireland

  • Griahan of aileach

    The Grianán Ailigh in Co. Donegal, Ireland is one of the more impressive stone-walled ringforts

  • Rath near Clanabogan Community Centre - geograph.org.uk - 93330

    Remains of a small earthen ringfort in modern use as an enclosure in Clanabogan, County Tyrone

  • Grainan of aileach

    Interior of Grianán Ailigh

  • InishmaanRingfort2

    Ringfort on the island of Inishmaan, Aran Islands, Ireland

  • Caher dun Irghuis

    Caher on Black Head, County Clare, with karst terrain in foreground

  • Chûn Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1065624

    The gate of Chûn Castle in Cornwall

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ringfort para niños

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