This motte and bailey castle at Moategranoge represents one of Ireland’s Norman defensive structures, built during the medieval period when such fortifications dotted the countryside. The monument appears on the 1910 Ordnance Survey map as an impressive oval mound, and modern aerial photography clearly shows its distinctive circular shape with an adjoining triangular platform.

The motte itself is a steep-sided circular mound with a gently rounded summit measuring approximately 19 metres north to south and 15 metres east to west. Its top surface is somewhat irregular, suggesting centuries of weathering and possible stone robbing. A defensive ditch, or fosse, curves around the southern side of the motte, separating it from the bailey; a raised triangular platform that would have once contained the castle’s ancillary buildings and served as the first line of defence. Interestingly, no clear entrance or connecting pathway between the motte and bailey survives, though the eastern side of the bailey shows evidence of later quarrying damage.

This type of castle construction was typical of the Anglo-Norman period in Ireland, representing a quick and effective way to establish control over newly conquered territories. The motte would have originally supported a wooden tower or keep, whilst the bailey housed stables, workshops, and accommodation for soldiers and servants. Today, the earthworks at Moategranoge stand as a well-preserved example of this castle type, offering visitors a tangible connection to Westmeath’s medieval past.