What is Ringfort?
[[Image:Stone Fort Inishmaan.JPG|thumb|right|A ring fort on [[Inishman]]]] [[Image:Staigue Fort - Kerry.jpg|thumb|right|Staigue fort in [[County Kerry]]]] A '''ringfort''', '''ring fort''' or '''ring fortress''' is a [[fortification|fortified]] [[Human settlement|settlement]]. Ring forts were made to protect [[village]]s, 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 [[soil|earth]], ''caiseal'' (northwestern Ireland, anglicised cashel) and ''cathair'' (southwestern Ireland) were built of [[Rock (geology)|stone]]. A ''dun'' is a more prestigious site, the seat of some kind of ruler, the term is applied to [[promontory fort]]s as well. {{multistub|history|military}} [[Category:Buildings and structures in the Middle Ages]] [[Category:Fortification]]