Rahugh Moat, Atticonor, Co. Westmeath
Standing atop a natural ridge at 101 metres above sea level, Rahugh Moat commands sweeping views across the Westmeath countryside.
Rahugh Moat, Atticonor, Co. Westmeath
This medieval fortification, marked on the 1910 Ordnance Survey map as a substantial circular earthwork, represents a well-preserved example of a Norman motte and bailey castle. The monument consists of a steep-sided circular mound with a flat top measuring about 10 metres across, surrounded by a defensive ditch or fosse that once provided additional protection for its occupants.
The site’s strategic position made excellent use of the natural landscape; the ridge falls away sharply on all sides, giving the fortress an added defensive advantage beyond its constructed defences. A raised semi-circular area on the southern side of the mound appears to be the remains of the bailey, where the everyday activities of the castle would have taken place, including stables, workshops and living quarters for the garrison. The main mound, or motte, would have originally supported a wooden tower or keep, serving as the last line of defence and the lord’s residence.
Today, this 55-metre-wide earthwork remains clearly visible in the pastoral landscape, its circular form now crowned with trees that mark its presence from a distance. Though the wooden structures have long since vanished, the earthworks continue to tell the story of Norman influence in medieval Ireland, when such fortifications were rapidly constructed across the countryside to establish and maintain control over newly conquered territories.