Castle - ringwork, Ballyvolan Lower, Co. Wicklow
Set on a flat shelf of land in Ballyvolan Lower, County Wicklow, the remains of a medieval ringwork castle offer a glimpse into Ireland's Norman past.
Castle - ringwork, Ballyvolan Lower, Co. Wicklow
This circular fortification, measuring roughly 55 metres in diameter, consists of stone wall foundations that likely formed part of a castle complex. The site’s strategic placement on level ground would have provided clear views across the surrounding countryside, making it an ideal defensive position during medieval times.
The ringwork’s most impressive features are its substantial defensive earthworks, which remain remarkably well preserved after centuries. A wide fosse, or defensive ditch, encircles the site, reaching up to 13 metres in width and plunging nearly 3 metres deep. Beyond this lies an outer earthen bank, best preserved along the northern, eastern and southern sections, where it rises 2 to 2.5 metres above the exterior ground level. The northern section reveals particularly interesting construction details, including external stone revetment work, and overlooks what appears to have been a berm and drainage system; evidence of sophisticated medieval engineering.
Today’s visitors approach the site via what was likely the original entrance, crossing a causeway approximately 110 metres wide that bridges the defensive ditch. Though a modern house and garden were constructed on the site in 1959, the medieval earthworks remain clearly visible. These substantial remains, documented in historical surveys including Price’s 1936 work, continue to mark the landscape as they have for centuries, testament to the enduring nature of Norman fortification methods in Ireland.





