Rathgall Hillfort — Attraction in The Municipal District of Baltinglass

Sadly the parking here is not great but this double ring fort is quite exceptional, gives great views and fits no generalization about hillforts.

Its inner gate faces (almost) westwards not northwards as the gates of most ringforts do - the collapsed rooms in the inner wall open into the outer circle.... there are many interesting things here apart from the views.

Excavatons have indicated that there were metal workshops here during the bronze age but really, very little is actually known about the purpose of these buildings. The default position is usually that they were military and defensive but they might equally be religious/funereal or even might have been amphitheaters for sporting and cultural events,

Barry...

A forgotten but not neglected OPW site, you'll likely be able to soak up the atmosphere on your own. So many of these sites involve pulling up on the roadside, and fighting your way through nettles, but the locals here have built an excellent car park and a well-maintained path. There isn't a host of signage, and the site does need a bit of imagination to process, but it's more evocative than say the Hill of Tara. Its use stretched from the neolithic to the Iron age and you can really get a sense of the ancient. Aside from that it lies in a wonderfully bucolic setting, with no traffic or...

It's really difficult to get pictures that reflect the scale of this site. Aerial pictures show the site but not the size. Standing in the middle you understand what an amazing piece of construction this is and what lengths people need to go to to defend their community from attack. Free access with a short walk from the car park. Dogs are able to visit but should be on a lead as the neighbouring fields may have livestock. The site is flat but uneven ground means you need to take care if you are not sure footed. Good excuse to hold...