Moated site, Moyra And Fortmill, Co. Longford
On a northwest-facing slope in County Longford's pastureland, you'll find the remains of what appears to be a medieval moated site near Moyra and Fortmill.
Moated site, Moyra And Fortmill, Co. Longford
This raised, roughly rectangular earthwork measures about 41 metres east to west and 38 metres north to south. The site is defined by distinctive defensive features: a scarp standing 1.4 metres high runs from the east through the south to the east-northeast, whilst a lower bank of earth and stone, only 30 to 40 centimetres high, continues from the east-northeast to the east. A wide, shallow fosse or ditch, varying between 2.6 and 5.6 metres wide and about half a metre deep, completes the defensive circuit.
The site has seen considerable changes over the centuries. A 1976 report noted an outer bank that once formed part of the defences, but this has since been heavily altered. On the western side, it’s been incorporated into a modern field boundary, whilst elsewhere it’s been completely levelled. A six-metre-wide gap in the bank at the east-northeast likely marks where the original entrance once stood, providing access to the enclosed area within.
Archaeological evidence suggests this wasn’t just a defensive structure but a place where people lived and worked. Within the eastern part of the interior, there’s a possible house site that would have formed the domestic heart of this medieval settlement. These moated sites were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries, often by Anglo-Norman settlers or wealthy landowners who needed both security and status symbols in the Irish countryside. The combination of banks, ditches, and scarps would have provided both practical defence and an impressive display of the owner’s resources and social standing.