Moated site

The National Monuments Service's description

On the crest of a ridge in wet pastureland. This very well-preserved rectangular moated site (c. 50m NE-SW; c. 44m NW-SE) is defined by an inner bank of earth and stone (Wth 2.5-2.9m; int. H 1m; ext. H 4.5m), an intervening fosse (Wth 2.1m) and an outer bank made up of earth and large limestone boulders (Wth 2-4m; int. H 1-2.2m; ext. H 2.5-2.7m), its outer edges are indistinct as much slippage has occurred due to the steeply sloping land on all sides, except to the E. There are causewayed entrances (Wth of both 5m) at NE and SW. A small knoll in the middle of the NE gap divides it in two. The NE portion of the outer bank is overlain by a modern field wall; traces of the original stone facing (L 9m) are visible at ENE. There is a slightly raised rectangular area (L c. 15m; Wth 8.5m) made up of stone and delimited by large boulders in the centre of the interior. Some 100m to the S lie two parallel banks with a water-filled intervening fosse (L 20m). A pear-shaped raised area is visible c. 120m to the SW. (McCaffrey 1952, 277-8, no. 15; Killanin and Duignan 1962, 58)

Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG

Date of upload: 9 December 2019

References

McCaffrey, P. 1952 A contribution to the archaeology of the barony of Dunkellin, Co. Galway. Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.

Killanin, M.M. and Duignan, M.V. 1967 (2nd ed.) The Shell guide to Ireland. London. The Ebury Press.