Ranaghan is a
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
and archaeological site in
County Westmeath
"Noble above nobility"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country
, subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
Introduction
It is south-west of
Lough Lene
Lough Lene (Irish language, Irish: ''Loch Léinn'') is a lake situated in north County Westmeath, Ireland, between the villages of Castlepollard, Collinstown and Fore Abbey, Fore.
It possesses a rich and varied history. It also boasts the exi ...
on high ground where there are a multitude of
ringforts
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 ...
.
Randoon
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 town ...
(Randún), possibly the most famous fort of the area, is between
Castlepollard
Castlepollard ( or ''Cionn Toirc'') is a village in north County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland. It lies west of Lough Lene and northeast of Lough Derravaragh and Mullingar.
Name
The name ''Castlepollard'' comes from the name of a castle or ...
and
Collinstown
Collinstown () is a village in north County Westmeath, situated on the R395 regional road overlooking Lough Lene. It lies northeast of the county town of Mullingar and (as of the 2016 census) had a population of 356.
Toponymy
The Irish name ...
. Turgesius the
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
is believed to have governed and sojourned in this area.
Origins
Ringfort
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 ...
s 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.
Locations
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
Lough Lene (Irish language, Irish: ''Loch Léinn'') is a lake situated in north County Westmeath, Ireland, between the villages of Castlepollard, Collinstown and Fore Abbey, Fore.
It possesses a rich and varied history. It also boasts the exi ...
(meaning "fertile soil") of
Collinstown
Collinstown () is a village in north County Westmeath, situated on the R395 regional road overlooking Lough Lene. It lies northeast of the county town of Mullingar and (as of the 2016 census) had a population of 356.
Toponymy
The Irish name ...
, Glenidan, Comerstown, Ranaghan, are dotted with ringforts, testifying to the land of fertile soil.
Collines 02 de Ranaghan.JPG, Gillardstown: view to Ranagahan Hills
Ranaghan hills.JPG, Overgrown ringfort
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 ...
s, Ranaghan Hills
Collines de Ranaghan.JPG, Gillardstown and Ranagahan Hills
See also
*
Grianan of Aileach
The Grianan of Aileach ( ; ga, Grianán Ailigh ), sometimes anglicised as Greenan Ely or Greenan Fort, is a hillfort atop the high Greenan Mountain at Inishowen in County Donegal, Ireland. The main structure is a stone ringfort, thought to ha ...
*
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara ( ga, Teamhair or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Iri ...
*
Turgesius
Turgesius (died 845) (also called Turgeis, Tuirgeis, Turges, and Thorgest) was a Viking chief active in Ireland during the 9th century. Turgesius Island, the principal island on Lough Lene, is named after him. It is not at all clear whether the nam ...
Further reading
*
* {{cite book , last=Stout , first=Matthew , title=The Irish Ringfort , publisher=Four Courts Press , location=Dublin , date=1997 , isbn=1851825827
"...Randún - a hill overlooking Lough Lene Collinstown W.Meath...", recorded by K. Molloy, found in the Glenidan Schools' Collection of the National Folklore Collection, UCD (recognised as one of Europe’s largest archives of oral tradition and cultural history, and inscribed in 2017 to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register), www.duchas.ie"...From the top of it can be seen three forts Ran Dún, on the northern side, one on the western side and one on the southern side..." recorded in 1938 by Dómhnaill De Bhealatúin, found in the Collinstown Schools’ Collection of the National Folklore Collection, UCD (recognised as one of Europe’s largest archives of oral tradition and cultural history, and inscribed in 2017 to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register), www.duchas.ie
External links
The Modern Antiquarian: Website containing further informationMegalithic: Website containing a Layout and Description
Medieval Ireland
Forts in Ireland
Archaeological sites in County Westmeath
Townlands of County Westmeath
Former populated places in Ireland