Castle - ringwork, Pollardstown, Co. Kildare
Sitting on a narrow gravel ridge in Pollardstown, County Kildare, this medieval earthwork tells a story of cultural complexity in medieval Ireland.
Castle - ringwork, Pollardstown, Co. Kildare
The site consists of a roughly circular raised area, about 80 metres across, surrounded by an earthen bank, a deep external ditch, and a second outer bank. Much of the ridge has been levelled through gravel extraction over the years, but the monument’s impressive defensive features remain visible.
Archaeological excavations carried out by Fanning in 1973-74 uncovered a fascinating array of iron objects, including horseshoe nails, blades, an arrowhead, a buckle, and a stirrup. These finds suggest the site was constructed and occupied sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries, though some artefacts may date to the 15th century. The material culture points to a community familiar with horses and weaponry, typical of the Anglo-Norman period in Ireland.
The interpretation of this monument remains contentious among historians. While Fanning and O’Conor have suggested it might be a ringwork castle, a type of fortification favoured by Anglo-Norman colonists, Fitzpatrick offers an intriguing alternative perspective. He argues that the site could represent something more culturally fluid; perhaps native Irish inhabitants occupying a traditional rath whilst adopting the material culture of their colonial neighbours, or incoming manorial tenants simply reusing an existing Irish fortification. This debate highlights the complex cultural exchanges that characterised medieval Ireland, where the boundaries between native and colonist were often more blurred than traditional histories suggest.