Castle - motte

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the summit of a hill in undulating countryside, 165m ENE of Moatland Cottage. Depicted on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular mound planted with trees with traces of an enclosing fosse around the base of the mound from E through S to SW. On the revised 1908 ed. OS 25-inch map only a section of this fosse on the SE side of the mound is depicted suggesting that the rest of the fosse had been filled in by this date. Present remains consist of a flat-topped circular earthwork (diam 35m; ext. H 4.5m) the perimeter of which supports trees. Although the site has the appearance of a motte, it lacks evidence for enclosing defences, although these appear to have been field in as the fosse depicted on the OS 6-inch maps is no longer visible. The Ordnance Survey Field Name Books of 1838-40 recorded that to the N of Moatland Cottage are, '2 moats or enclosures of plantations, from which it has very probably derived its name' (OSNB 1838-40). This possible motte may have been reused as a landscape feature when it was planted with trees by the occupants of Moatland Cottage. Described by Cunningham as a motte which may have been a burial mound or some earlier fortification of pre-Norman date (Cunningham 1987, 129).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 4 January 2012

References

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.

Cunningham, G. 1987 The Anglo-Norman advance into the south-east midlands of Ireland, 1185-1221. Roscrea. Parkmore Press.