Castle - motte and bailey

The National Monuments Service's description

In improved pasture, formerly marsh, in gently undulating landscape. Tertiary roads to SE and SW and a national school and RC church to SW. A medieval church (TS059-016----) and graveyard (TS059-016001-) and St. James' holy well (TS059-015----) are located c. 110m to E and 180m to NE respectively. In the late 13th century the manor of 'Donethyl' was possessed by the family of Le Ercedekne or Archdeacon and 'in 1295 Silverster le Ercedekne lodged a complaint against Hugh Purcel, the Sherriff of Tipperary, stating that he had forcibly entered the castle of Dounhochil, broken open chests and coffers, and taken away goods to the value of £500' (Seymour 1916, 151; Marnane 2003, 49-52). A causeway is mentioned several times in the account of the raid, including when it was broken hastily, suggesting that it might be a wooden structure, either giving access to the castle on the motte or across the surrounding marsh (Seymour 1916, 151-52; Lucas 1985, 50). Le Ercedekne remained in possession of Dunoghyl in 1319 when it was granted permission to hold a weekly market, with liberties and free customs indicating the importance of the manor at this time (ibid). An oval, flat-topped motte (dims. 10m E-W; 8m N-S) defined by a sheer scarp (Wth 14.1m; H 9m) SE-ENE and a more gradual scarp (Wth 17.7m; H 5.55m) ENE-SE. As the scarp falls more gently to the E, it is likely that the top of the motte was accessed from the E side of the bailey. The top of the motte is occupied by the remains of a castle (TS059-014002-). Seymour (1916, 151) refers to 'an open hole in top, which probably led into a chamber'. A modern statue of Jesus, is off-centre to W. The motte sits centrally on top of a substantial triangular bailey (overall dimensions L 56m to SE; L 50m to W and L 54m to N) which has a short, flat side (L 28m) to the ENE, due to rising of causeway. The angles of the bailey form three distinct sub-baileys to the E, SW and NW. The sub-bailey to the E is a sub-rectangular area (dims. 19m N-S; 14m E-W) defined by scarp (Wth 21m; H 8.45m) N-S; slippage on the exterior gives an impression of a slight counterscarp. The sub-bailey to the SW is a triangular area (dims. 20m NW-SE; 10m NE-SW) defined by scarp (Wth 20m; H 7.5m) SE-NW, as is the sub-bailey to NW which has a triangular area (dims. 34m SW-NE; 12m NW-SE) defined by scarp (Wth 21m; H 8.75m) SW-NE. Passage is afforded between the baileys via linear strips to W (Wth 3.8m; H 0.85m), NE and SE. A possible causeway, running ENE-WSW, rises along the exterior of the N scarp of the bailey proper, at its E end, accessing the area between the NW and E sub-baileys. There are the remains of a possible trackway (Wth 5.3m; H 0.65m) along W side which has a gentle tilt downslope and is defined by a low scarp (Wth 3.5m; H 0.85m), possibly accessing a former quarried depression at the S. An outer rectilinear enclosure adjoining to the N is seen on aerial photography (CUCAP 20 July 1968 AVT 49) as a low scarp defined by the cropmark of a fosse; possibly the faint traces of outworks Lyons located in the marsh surrounding the monument (ITA Topographical files, 11/10/1953).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 24 September 2013

References

Seymour, J.D. 1916 Notes on a Tipperary parish. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 22, 146-56.

Marnane, D.G. 2003 English law in Tipperary 1295-1314. Tipperary Historical Journal, 41-64.

Lucas, A.T. 1985 Toghers or causeways: some evidence from archaeological, literary, historical and placename sources. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 85C, 37-60.