Castle - motte

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture on summit of hill, immediately S of Kilfinnane Town (LI048-127----). Standing stone (LI056-022----) immediately to SW. Depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map as a circular area enclosed by two banks with OSi trig. station in centre marking 661 ft. OD. Annotated ‘The Moat’ on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map and shown as a central mound, enclosed by 3 banks with intervening fosses from NE-S-W-NW. On this map the 'Fair Green is shown immediately to NE and the enclosing banks have been levelled on the N side of the earthwork. Annotated 'Treada na Ríogh (The Moat)' on the Cassini ed. OSi 6-inch map.
Described by Herity (1993, 146, 141) as following; ‘The earthwork occupies a commanding position at 661 ft OD overlooking the great plain of county Limerick. The central mound is roughly circular. c. 10.4m high above the level of the ground outside the outer vallum. The top of the mound is level, with a diameter of 16.2m. The inner vallum is 4.9m high over the outer ground, 7.8m wide at the base and 2.7m wide at the top. The next vallum is 3.2m high, 4.7m wide at the base and 1.8m wide at the top. The outer vallum is 1.6m high, 2.7m wide at the base and 0.9m wide at the top. The overall diameter of the monument was 101.1m north to south. The greater part of the outer vallum has been removed (measurements after Lynch 1911, converted to metric scale). In the list of royal forts in the Book of Rights (Leabhar na g Ceart) there is a poem attributed to St. Benean in the fifth century in which we read of “Drumfinghin of the wood, with it Treada na Righ,” the triple-banked fort of the kings. According to Westropp (1917, 470), “this is unmistakeably Kilfinnan”. Multi-vallate earthwork visible on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages.

See attached plan and section drawing (after Lynch), oblique aerial photographs (ASIAP 319 (10/12) ) taken 05/10/2002 and Google Earth orthoimages.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 25 November 2021

References

O’Shaughnessy, D.F. and Carroll, P. 1931 Tara Luachra. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 36, No. 144, 69-75.

Herity, M. 1993 Motes and Mounds at Royal Sites in Ireland: Raith Airthir, Meath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 23, 127-51.

Dowd, J. 1896 Round about the County of Limerick. Limerick. G. McKern & Sons.

Fitzgerald, P. and McGregor, J.J. 1826 The history, topography and antiquities of the county and city of Limerick. Dublin.

Begley, J. 1906 The Diocese of Limerick ancient and medieval. Dublin.

Lenihan, M. 1866 Limerick: its history and antiquities.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Orpen, G.H. 1907 Motes and Norman castles in Ireland. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 37, 123-52.

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).

Westropp, T.J. 1916-17 On certain typical earthworks and ring walls in Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 33C, 9-42, 444-92.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

Westropp, T.J. 1904 On Irish motes and early Norman castles. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 34, 313-43.

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.