Rath (plural rathanna) describes the characteristic circular earthen enclosures that dot the Irish countryside, built as farmsteads and defensive enclosures from the Iron Age through the early medieval period. In folk belief, many rathanna are fairy forts — the habitations of the Aos Sí — and to disturb them invites supernatural retribution. For poets, the rath is a layered image: simultaneously a historical survival, a marker of ancestral presence, and a living connection to the supernatural world. Poets from Yeats onward have used the rath and its synonyms (lios, dún) to ground mythological material in the physical Irish landscape.

Rath is a circular earthwork fort, associated with ancient settlement and fairy occupation. In poetry, the rath symbolizes protection, community, and continuity with the past. It is a defensive structure that also marks sacred space. Poets use rath imagery to evoke a sense of belonging and historical depth. The rath is often linked to specific legends or families. It represents the intersection of human habitation and supernatural presence in the landscape.