Castle - motte

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a glacial hillock in the foothills of an upland area with extensive views in all directions. The motte overlooks a narrow deep stream-cut ravine running NE-SW which is 85m to the S and SE. According to Cunningham (1987, 117) this motte was located on the route of the Slighe Dhála. The summit of Benduff overlooks the monument 1.4km to the ENE, with good views of Borrisnoe Mountain, Kilduff Mountain and the Devilsbit Mountain to the SE. Nearby ringforts (TN022-037----; TN022-039----) 290m to the NE and 440m S respectively. A steep-sided flat-topped oval-shaped mound (H 4.8m; top diam. 27m NE-SW; 18m NW-SE) with enclosing berm (Wth 8m) around the base of the motte defined by an earthen bank (ext. H 3m; int. H 0.5m), the berm was created when the builders of the mound cut into the site of the natural hillock in order to create the oval shaped motte. A second berm (Wth 9m-16m; ext. H 2m) encircles the base of the hillock on which the motte is situated, this second berm is enclosed by an earth and stone bank (Wth 5m; ext. H 2m; int. H 0.9m) with a possible entrance gap at NNW now destroyed by adjacent quarry. The stepped profile of the defences of the motte were created by the builders of the monument cutting into the side of a natural glacial hillock. There is no bailey visible although quarrying operations to the E and N of the motte may have destroyed any original bailey in this area. Quarrying to the N and E of the monument has resulted in the removal of the outer enclosing bank from NNW-N-E. A flat-topped plateau area (diam. 90m) to the E of the motte would have been a suitable location for a bailey area, this area is now used as silt pools by the adjoining quarry (Stout 1984, 111).
A shallow depression or hollow area on top of motte may suggest the presence of a structure on top of the mound. The Civil Survey of 1654-56 recorded the existence of ‘Clonecannanane [Cloncannon] castle’ which was described at the time as one of ‘six castles out of all manner of repayre’ (Simington 1931, 4). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of the parish of Aghnameadle recorded that in the townland of Cloncannon there ‘is upon the sd lands a castle wanting repaire & a mill seate (TN022-069----) upon a brooke called Collatrom [Ollatrim]’ (ibid., 22). Today there are no surface remains of any other castle (TN022-068---) in the townland of Cloncannon. Of the six castles listed all were stone castles such as Rathnaveoge Castle (TN017-033----). A castle is depicted in this townland on the Down Survey barony map of Ikerrin. It is possible that the castle depicted on the Down Survey map was a stone castle which stood on the summit of Cloncannon motte. Alternatively this castle site may have been located elsewhere within the townland of Cloncannon. A nearby moated site (TN022-038001-) is located in area where the castle is depicted on the Down Survey map. (Stout 1984, 111-12; Cunningham 1987, 117-18).

See attached plan taken from Stout, G. 1984 The archaeological survey of the barony of Ikerrin.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload/revision: 21 July 2014

This monument is subject to a preservation orders made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 4/1984 and PO no. 1/1996).

References

Stout, G. 1984 The archaeological survey of the barony of Ikerrin. Roscrea Heritage Society.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1931 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol I: county of Tipperary: eastern and southern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

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