Lisduff, Carrowmunniagh, Co. Galway
On the south bank of a stream in County Galway, the remains of a conjoined moated site reveal centuries of medieval life in rural Ireland.
Lisduff, Carrowmunniagh, Co. Galway
The site consists of two distinct but connected enclosures, each defined by earthen banks and defensive ditches known as fosses. The first enclosure forms a rectangular shape, measuring 50 metres from north-northwest to south-southeast and 22.5 metres across. While time has worn away much of the inner bank, leaving only traces on the northwest side, the outer defensive features remain clearly visible, though somewhat altered by material dredged from the nearby stream and piled along the northeastern edge.
The second enclosure, which adjoins the first on the west-southwest side, takes on a roughly D-shaped form spanning 41.5 metres north to south and 34 metres east to west. Within this space, visitors can still make out the grassed-over remains of what appears to have been a dwelling; a C-shaped structure of earth and stone measuring about 5 metres long and 3 metres wide. The site shows evidence of sophisticated water management, with traces of an old stream bed to the east suggesting the original watercourse may have been diverted to fill the defensive ditches. A carefully constructed leat, defined by two earthen banks, runs from the northeast corner towards the stream, demonstrating the medieval inhabitants’ engineering skills.
These earthworks at Lisduff represent a typical example of Anglo-Norman settlement patterns in Ireland, where moated sites served both defensive and agricultural purposes. The conjoined nature of the two enclosures suggests either an expansion of the original settlement or the presence of distinct functional areas; perhaps separating domestic quarters from agricultural storage or livestock management. Though a modern field boundary now cuts through the monument at the northeast and southeast, the site remains remarkably well-preserved, offering a tangible connection to Galway’s medieval past.