Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte and bailey
Brittas, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Brittas
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.60580, -8.41327
- SMR number
- LI014-057----
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
In pasture 150m W of Mulkear River that marks the townland boundary with Eyon, 100m SW of Brittas Castle (LI015-009----). No surface remains visible of levelled motte castle identified by O’Dwyer (1964, 95) who described the earthwork as ‘a large earthen mound now much disturbed, 210 feet [64m] in diameter and rising 20 feet [6m] above the level of the field. An apparently artificial cutting runs from this mound to the river about 450 feet [137m] distant. Not marked on the OS map. It is about 450 feet [137m] SW of Brittas Castle and appears to be an Anglo Norman motte; the bretasche (wooden tower) which originally crowned this mound is probably that which gave the townland its name’. No surface remains visible today on Digital Globe orthoimage 2011-2013.
See attached Google Earth orthoimages taken 28/06/2018 and 05/04/2006
Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick
Date upload: 6 July 2020
References
O'Dwyer, M. 1964 A Survey of the earthworks of the district of Old Pallasgrean (concluded). North Munster Antiquarian Journal 9, 94-8.
Nearby in the register
- Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castleunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Earthworkunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.