Known as Castlegrace Moat, this substantial earthwork measures roughly 36 metres across at its base and commands excellent views across the surrounding tillage fields. The mound’s southern side bears the scars of 1970s damage, when severe truncation between its west-southwest and east-southeast sections left a steep, exposed face that reveals its internal structure.

Local historian O’Toole, writing in 1933, linked this site to a fascinating piece of Anglo-Norman history. He suggested the motte might be connected to a castle supposedly built by Hugh de Lacy in 1175 for his brother-in-law, Raymond Le Gros, one of the first Norman invaders of Ireland. While O’Toole also identified some stone structures incorporated into the former outhouses of nearby Castlegrace farm as potential castle remains, most evidence points to the motte itself being the primary medieval fortification in the area.

The monument, which may be partly natural in origin, shows no visible signs of a defensive ditch or bailey that typically accompanied Norman mottes. Despite the damage inflicted during the 1970s, the site remains significant enough to warrant protection under a preservation order issued in 1978. Today, this substantial earthwork continues to dominate the local landscape much as it would have done in medieval times, serving as a tangible reminder of the Norman conquest and settlement of Ireland.