Moated site, Cloonerane, Co. Wexford

Co. Wexford |

Castle Features

Moated site, Cloonerane, Co. Wexford

The moated site at Cloonerane in County Wexford sits within a slight east-west fold in the landscape, forming a rectangular area that measures 26.5 metres north to south and 20.5 metres east to west.

Though now overgrown, the site's boundaries remain clearly defined by a slight bank on its eastern side and the remnants of flat-bottomed moats that once encircled the perimeter. These defensive ditches vary in width from 2 to 5 metres at their base, with internal depths ranging from 1.2 to 2.5 metres and external depths between 1.2 and 1.74 metres.

The site's original footprint has been somewhat altered over the centuries. A roadway running north-northwest to south-southeast has encroached upon the western boundary, whilst a bend in this same road has obscured what would have been the northwest corner of the medieval enclosure. Despite these later intrusions, the moated site retains enough of its original form to clearly demonstrate its defensive purpose and rectangular plan.

First documented by Barry in 1977 and later included in the Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford published in 1996, this site represents one of many similar medieval earthworks scattered across the Irish countryside. These moated sites, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, served as fortified farmsteads for Anglo-Norman settlers and wealthy Irish families, combining defensive features with agricultural functionality in a period when such protection was essential for rural prosperity.

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