Moated site, Shanakyle, Co. Tipperary South
On a northeast-facing slope in what is now improved pasture land, the remains of a medieval moated site mark the landscape at Shanakyle in South Tipperary.
Moated site, Shanakyle, Co. Tipperary South
This sub-rectangular earthwork measures approximately 40 metres from northwest to southeast and 27 metres from northeast to southwest, with its boundaries still traceable despite centuries of agricultural activity. The site is defined by the remnants of an earthen bank that runs along three sides; to the northwest, southwest and southeast; whilst a land drain and the current townland boundary form the northeastern edge.
The surviving bank varies in preservation around the site’s perimeter. At its top, it measures about 2.5 metres wide, expanding to an overall width of 7.6 metres at its base. The bank rises roughly 0.4 metres above the interior ground level and stands about 0.15 metres higher than the surrounding exterior land. The northwestern section appears particularly substantial, incorporating what seems to be an old field boundary into its structure. The interior of the moated site forms a gentle depression on the sloping ground, a characteristic feature of these medieval defensive homesteads.
Archaeological evidence suggests this site once had additional defensive features. In the southwestern quadrant, traces of what appears to be a fosse, or defensive ditch, can still be detected. This shallow depression measures approximately 0.85 metres wide at its base, with an overall width of nearly 4 metres, though it has been filled in over time and now only reaches a depth of about 0.2 metres. Such moated sites were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries by Anglo-Norman settlers and wealthy Irish families, serving as fortified farmsteads that combined residential, agricultural and defensive functions.





