Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte and bailey
Moatfarrell, County Longford, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Moatfarrell
- County
- Longford
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Moat & Castle
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.72805, -7.64440
- SMR number
- LF014-050----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
At the NE end of a low, prominent, NE-SW running ridge with commanding views in all directions. In the late 1970s traces of a possible stone kerb were identified running around the base of the motte on the W side (Manning 1976, 162). Its presence suggests the motte may incorporate the site of a prehistoric burial mound, which was refortified by the Anglo-Normans (Fitzpatrick 2004, 94). The monument is traditionally held to be the inauguration place (LF014-050001-) of the O'Farralls, prior to their split into two factions c. 1516. After this date the O'Farralls (Buí) of S Annaly may have continued to use it for inauguration and assembly purposes (ibid., 65–6).
The motte is an oval-shaped, high, steep-sided flat-topped mound of earth and stone (H c. 9m; dims. at base c. 34m NW-SE; c. 30m NE-SW). Upon its summit (19.6m NW-SE; 11.6m NE-SW) are an OS trigonometrical station and the grass-covered remains of a collapsed stone building, which may be the remains of a possible O’Farrell castle (LF014-050002-). The motte has been quarried into at SW. From W-NW-NNW it is encircled by a partially rock-cut, wide, deep fosse (Wth 5.7m; D 1.2m) with a very wide, very high external bank of earth and stone (Wth 20.6m; H 7m), which utilises the natural slope of the hill. Adjoining the motte from SSW-SW-W is a large subrectangular bailey (52.3m NE-SW; 31m NW-SE) defined by a bank, now reduced to a scarp (H 0.9 1.4m), with traces of an external fosse. There is evidence of a possible entrance gap in the centre of the bank along the W side. There is no dividing fosse between the motte and the bailey. The remains of a series of small fields with evidence of ridge and furrow cultivation, of unkown date, are visible in the field to the SSE. A ringfort (LF014-120----) lies c. 130m to the N, a moated site (LF014-051----) c. 380m to the E, and a church (LF014-058001-) and graveyard (LF014-058002-) c. 750m to the SSE.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 28 March 2012
Nearby in the register
- Inauguration siteunder 1 mi
- Castle - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Field systemunder 1 mi
- Bawnunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.