Bastioned fort

The National Monuments Service's description

The bailey, which had originally been built to support the motte (MO011-008001-), is a subrectangular grass and scrub-covered area (dims 28m NE-SW at SE; 34.5m NE-SW at NW; 38-40m NW-SE) defined by overgrown scarps (H c. 2-3m) with a fosse (Wth 4.5-5m; int. D 2.7m; ext. D 0.6m) surviving only on the NW side, which has a pond at its N end. There are raised triangular projections at the N (dims 8m N-S: 8.5m E-W at S; H 1.6m over interior) and W (dims 12m E-W; 6.5m N-S at SE; H 1.1m over interior) angles. These angle bastions could indicate that the bailey was re-fortified in the late sixteenth or seventeenth centuries, and the Down Survey barony map (1656-8) depicts and names a rectangular ‘fort’ with concave sides at this location. It may have been strengthened by the garrisons occasionally noted at Clones in the early seventeenth century. In 1689 Jacobite forces made it their base when they attacked the settlers’ castle (MO011-015----), which is probably the last active use of the monument (Schlegel 1999, 38), (Livingstone 1980, 535-6)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

See the image from the Down Survey showing the 'fort'.

Date of revised upload: 26 January 2018

References

Schlegel, D. M. 1999 Scots Clan Donald in Dartree and Monaghan Baronies, Clogher Record, vol. 16, No. 3, 38-57.

Livingstone, P. 1980 The Monaghan Story. Enniskillen.

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).