Moated site, Grangecastle, Co. Tipperary South

Co. Tipperary |

Castle Features

Moated site, Grangecastle, Co. Tipperary South

The moated site at Grangecastle in County Tipperary South sits on flat, poorly drained pasture that offers sweeping views across the countryside, with the Slieveardagh hills visible to the southeast.

Just 40 metres to the northeast lies another ringfort, suggesting this area was once home to multiple defensive structures. The monument takes on a distinctive D-shape, with its straight side running along the southwestern sector for about 23 metres. The slightly raised interior measures roughly 30 metres east to west and 23 metres north to south, creating a sizeable enclosed space.

The enclosure is defined by a substantial earth and stone bank that varies in height from 0.3 to 1.4 metres on the interior side and stands about a metre high on the exterior. The bank itself is quite broad, measuring 1.5 metres across the top and widening to 4 metres at its base. Beyond this protective barrier runs a wide, flat-bottomed fosse or defensive ditch, spanning 3.5 metres at the top and narrowing to 2 metres at the bottom, though it's now only about 0.3 metres deep on the outer side. A modern gap, 2 metres wide, has been cut through the bank on the southwestern side, providing current access to the interior.

Historical maps tell us the site has undergone some changes over time; the first edition Ordnance Survey map from 1840 shows it as a square-shaped enclosure that was planted with trees. Today, the monument remains in good condition despite the presence of several bushes growing around its perimeter and a feeding trough that has been placed within the interior, evidence of its ongoing use as agricultural land. This well-preserved example of a medieval moated site continues to mark the Tipperary landscape, offering insights into how people once defended their homes and communities in medieval Ireland.

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