Castle - motte

The National Monuments Service's description

Late 12th century earth & timber motte castle built by Hugh de Lacy on the S side of Castletown Delvin with later stone castle (WM014-002----) 65m to WNW, St. Mary’s church (WM014-003----) and graveyard (WM014-003001-) 70m to WSW. In the late 12th century Hugh De Lacy, Lord of Meath granted the lands of Delvin belonging to the O'Finellan's to his brother-in-law, Gilbert de Nugent (Orpen 1911, 87-8). Motte castle is now overgrown and covered in bushes making detailed examination impossible. Monument standing in concrete delivery yard of hardware store which encloses the base of the motte from NW-N-NE. Drystone wall revetment at base of motte visible from W-N. Cottage and yard located at base of monument on SW side.
It has been suggested that this Anglo-Norman earth & timber castle was constructed on top of an earlier Gaelic fortification called Telach Caíl (O’Keeffe 2000, 22; Flanagan 1993). Monument described in 1973 as ‘a fairly large circular motte. The sides are very steep and the top is fairly wide and flat (Top. Diam. 15m). Detailed examination is prevented by a dense growth of briars and debris on top of the earthwork. A house, garden and yard adjoin the base of the earthwork and have obliterated any trace of a fosse or any other feature which may have been at the base of the motte originally. There are wide views of the surrounding countryside from the top of the earthwork’ (SMR File 07/03/1973).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 1 February 2016

References

Orpen, G.H. 1911-20 Ireland under the Normans (1169-1216), 4 vols. Oxford. Clarendon Press.

O'Keeffe, T. 2000 Medieval Ireland an Archaeology. Gloucestershire. Tempus.

Flanagan, M.T. 1993 Anglo-Norman change and continuity: the castle of Telach Cail in Delbna. Irish Historical Studies 28, 385-9.