circa 480 AD
Rahinane - A High Status Rath
The ringfort at Rahinnane is a very large and substantial double-ditched example. Not surprisingly, recent research has shown that the bigger and more substantially defended raths and cahers such as Rahinnane were the homes of high-status royals and aristocrats. It is likely that Rahinnane was occupied by a king of Áes Irrais Tuaiscirt or perhaps a close relative, as the fort would later be taken over by the Normans, who often built their fortifications upon older capital Irish sites. The importance of the site is again illustrated by its name, Ráith Fhíonáin, preserving the name of the senior saint of the Corcu Duibne, Fíonán Cam.
