Ranaghan Ranaghan | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Hills of Ranaghan | |
  Ranaghan Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 53°38′50″N7°13′48″W / 53.64722°N 7.2301°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Westmeath |
| Elevation | 128 m (420 ft) |
| merged with Castlepollard | |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N463640 |
Ranaghan is a townland and archaeological site in County Westmeath, Ireland.
It is south-west of Lough Lene on high ground where there are a multitude of ringforts. Randoon (Randún), possibly the most famous fort of the area, is between Castlepollard and Collinstown. Turgesius the Viking is believed to have governed and sojourned in this area.
Ringforts are fortified settlements, generally agreed to be from the Early Medieval Period in Northern Europe, especially Ireland. They are also known as ráth (as in Ranaghan) caiseal, cathair and dún (as in Randoon/Randún) 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 dún is a more prestigious site, the seat of a local chieftain or ruler; the term is also applied to promontory forts.
No historical or archaeological maps, surveys, nor records of the Early Medieval Period in Ireland approach the dates of the Irish ringforts. The areas surrounding Lough Lene (meaning "fertile soil") of Collinstown, Glenidan, Comerstown, Ranaghan, are dotted with ringforts, testifying to the land of fertile soil.
County Westmeath is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of Meath, which was named Mide because the kingdom was located in the geographical centre of Ireland. Westmeath County Council is the administrative body for the county, and the county town is Mullingar. At the 2022 census, the population of the county was 95,840.
Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales and in Cornwall, where they are called rounds. Ringforts come in many sizes and may be made of stone or earth. Earthen ringforts would have been marked by a circular rampart, often with a stakewall. Both stone and earthen ringforts would generally have had at least one building inside.
Castlepollard is a village in north County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland. It lies west of Lough Lene and northeast of Lough Derravaragh and Mullingar.
The Grianan of Aileach, sometimes anglicised as Greenan Ely or Greenan Fort, is a hillfort atop the 244 metres (801 ft) high Greenan Mountain at Inishowen in County Donegal, Ireland. The main structure is a stone ringfort, thought to have been built by the Northern Uí Néill, in the sixth or seventh century CE; although there is evidence that the site had been in use before the fort was built. It has been identified as the seat of the Kingdom of Ailech and one of the royal sites of Gaelic Ireland. The wall is about 4.5 metres (15 ft) thick and 5 metres (16 ft) high. Inside it has three terraces, which are linked by steps, and two long passages within it. Originally, there would have been buildings inside the ringfort. Just outside it are the remains of a well and a tumulus.
Dál nAraidi or Dál Araide, sometimes latinised as Dalaradia or anglicised as Dalaray, was a Cruthin kingdom, or possibly a confederation of Cruthin tribes, in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and its kings often contended with the Dál Fiatach for the over-kingship of the province. At its greatest extent, the borders of Dál nAraidi roughly matched those of County Antrim, and they seemed to occupy the same area as the earlier Robogdii of Ptolemy's Geography, a region shared with Dál Riata. Their capital was Ráth Mór outside Antrim, and their eponymous ancestor is claimed as being Fiachu Araide.
Collinstown is a village in north County Westmeath, situated on the R395 regional road overlooking Lough Lene. It lies 18 km (11 mi) northeast of the county town of Mullingar and had a population of 356.
Lough Lene is a lake situated in north County Westmeath, Ireland, between the villages of Castlepollard, Collinstown and Fore.
Fore Abbey is the ruins of a Benedictine and Early Gaelic 7th century Abbey with associated Mill, Anchorite's Cell, Holy Wells and a structure associated with St. Feichin, all situated to the north of Lough Lene in County Westmeath, adjacent to Fore village. Architectural additions, damage by fire and dismantlement have altered the site's appearance and layout over the centuries.
Randoon (Randún) is a Turgesius Viking fortress located southwest of Lough Lene in Ireland. The fortress is situated upon a hill in Ranaghan, dominating by its height all other ringforts in the area, and overlooking Lough Lene between the towns of Castlepollard and Collinstown. The locally used term fort refers to any of the multitude of ringforts, many of which have been overgrown by vegetation. These remain today as historical relics Early Medieval Period of Ireland and Western Europe; they protected by Irish national heritage law.
Fore is a village, next to the old Benedictine Abbey ruin of Fore Abbey, situated to the north of Lough Lene in County Westmeath, in Ireland.
Rakeelan is a townland in the Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland.
Snugborough is a townland in the Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland.
Corranierna is a townland in the Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. (Disambiguation see also- Corranierna townland, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland.)
The Paps of Anu are a pair of breast-shaped mountains near Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. The eastern summit, The Paps East, is 694 metres (2,277 ft) high and the western top, The Paps West is 690 metres (2,260 ft) high.
Ray is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Templeport and barony of Tullyhaw.
Curraghvah, an Anglicisation of the Gaelic, either ‘Currach Bheathach’, meaning The Moor of the Birches, or ‘Currach a’ Mhagh’, meaning The Moor of the Plain, or ‘Currach Mheádh’ meaning The Moor of the Spicy Mead Drink, is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Glangevlin and barony of Tullyhaw.
Legnagrow, an Anglicisation of the Gaelic, either Lag na gCnó 'The Hollow of the Nuts', or Lag na gCro 'The Hollow of the Huts or Sheep-Folds', is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Glangevlin and barony of Tullyhaw.
Drumconra is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. The townland is also called Lowforge, meaning 'The Lower Forge' belonging to the 18th century Swanlinbar Iron Works. A sub-division is called The Coal Yard. The 1938 Dúchas collection states- The Coal Yard - a field belonging to Mr. Patrick McGoldrick, Drumcondra, Swanlinbar Co Cavan. Long ago iron was smelted there and there are traces of this under each sod that is dug up. Another sub-division is called The Fairy Field. The Dúchas collection states- This is owned by Mr Barney Kellaher, Drumcondra, Swanlinbar. There is a peculiar shaped stone in it which is never touched. It is said locally that one time a person who tried to remove it was found dead next morning and since then no one would touch it.
Ballyhugh is a townland in the civil parish of Drumlane, Barony of Loughtee Lower, County Cavan, Ireland.