Linear earthwork

The National Monuments Service's description

The area which would later be called 'The English Pale' (from the Latin 'palus'- a stake, and also the name of an earthen fortification at Calais in France) originated in the early 14thC when Norman settlers began withdrawing to lands in counties Dublin, Kildare, Louth and Meath and fortifying these areas against attack by the native Irish. By 1435, ongoing attacks, primarily aimed at cattle theft, prompted the concept of an additional, linear defensive feature, the boundaries of which were defined in a 1488 Act of Parliament as extending, 'from Merrion inclusive to the waters of the Dodder, by the new ditch to Saggard, Rathcoole, Kilheel (Kilteel), Rathmore and Ballymore (Eustace), thence to the county of Kildare into Ballycutlan (Coghlanstown), Harristown and Naas, and so thence to Clane, Kilboyne, and Kilcock'. In 1494 Parliament directed that, 'every inhabitant, earth tiller and occupier in said marches (borderlands), do build and make a double ditch six feet high above ground at one side or part which meareth next unto Irishmen between this and next Lammas (August 1st.), the said ditches to be kept up and repaired as long as they shall occupy said land.' However, Ellis (CHECK REF.) points to a statute in Poyning's parliament in 1495 for 'ditches to be made aboute the Inglishe pale' as the first application of the term 'pale' to Ireland. The Pale contracted eastwards in subsequent years and it is not certain if its original extent was ever completely ditched. By the seventeenth century The Pale had ceased to have any real political or defensive significance.
Only a few, short sections have been positively identified in Co Kildare; in Kilteel Upper/Cupidstown near Rathmore (KD020-008001-/KD020-008002-) where archaeological excavation revealed a palisade trench along the top of the bank (O'Donnell 1987, 110), in Bishopsland just SW of Ballymore Eustace (KD029-039----), at Castlebrown or Clongowes (KD010-021----/KD014-008001- and KD014-008002-) and finally, the best preserved, semi-continuous portion which runs for c. 3365m through the townlands of Ballybrack, Ballyloughan, Clonduff, Clonfert South and Graiguepottle, c. 5km N of Clongowes (KD010-001----).
Two well-preserved, although overgrown portions survive, one to the north and a second to the south of Clongoweswood College (KD014-045----). The northern portion (KD010-21----/KD014-8----) is a low, broad earthen bank (traceable L 550m; Wth 3-4m; H 0.75m) with a footpath on top and with ditches on either side (D 1-1.5m, but recut).
The southern portion (KD014-008002-) has a similar morphology but slightly greater dimensions (traceable L c. 900m; av. Wth 5m; int H 0.6m; ext H 3m) and appears to terminate at its S end at the small, NW-flowing Gollymochy River. However, a slightly smaller, raised bank (dims. Wth 1.5-3m; H 0.2-0.6m) carries on from this point, curving SE, following the river bank (traceable L c. 200m), and may be part of the earthwork? In 1993, an archaeological watching brief (Licence No. 93E0057: www.excavations.ie) was maintained on the construction of a sewage pipeline which was run through an existing, modern breach in the boundary and a profile was also recorded 4m to the N of the breach at an area of least vegetal overgrowth. Natural ground level at this point rises from W to E. The Pale boundary here had a total width of 8.5m. The larger and deeper W fosse (recut as a modern drain) was 2m wide and tapered to a V-shaped profile. It was 1.18m deep, below ground level to the W. The flat-topped earthen bank was almost 2m wide and rose 2.2m above the bottom of the W fosse and 1.5m above ground level to the W. The E fosse was c. 2.5m wide with a rounded profile. It was 1.5m deep below the top of the bank and less than 1m below ground level to the E. No small finds were recovered.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011