Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte and bailey
Priest Town, County Louth, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Priest Town
- County
- Louth
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Fort
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.79653, -6.39036
- SMR number
- LH021-005----
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 1636 "Vltoniae Orientalis Pars" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated at the end of a long natural ridge with a stream and valley to its W and consisting of a flat-topped earthen mound (max. diam. at top 15.7m, at base 26.5m, H c. 3-5m) with traces of a wide fosse (Wth 3.7m at base, 6m at rim, D 0.4m) from E to W. The site was subsequently used as a tree-ring and there is evidence of modern scarping of the W face of the motte. A possible bailey (dims c. 21m N-S, c. 40m E-W) at the S is defined by a sharp drop in level and scarping of the W and S sides and by a shallow ditch at the E.
The above description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 17 July 2007
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.