Moated site, Liscullane, Co. Cork

Moated site, Liscullane, Co. Cork

Hidden within the level pastures of Liscullane in County Cork lies a medieval moated site, its earthen banks and waterlogged ditches still clearly defining what was once a fortified homestead.

Moated site, Liscullane, Co. Cork

The main enclosure forms a rough rectangle, stretching about 40 metres from north to south and 30 metres from east to west. Substantial earthen banks, rising over three metres in places, guard the north and west sides, whilst steep scarps protect the eastern and southern approaches. A wide fosse, or defensive ditch, ranging from six to eight metres across and now permanently waterlogged, surrounds the entire structure. The original entrance, six metres wide and still showing traces of stone facing on its northern edge, cuts through the western bank where the fosse becomes noticeably shallower.

Though dense overgrowth now makes the interior largely inaccessible, remnants of structures can still be glimpsed through the vegetation along the southern edge. Historical maps from 1842 show a rectangular building here, roughly 10 by 4 metres, though today only fragments remain visible. What makes this site particularly interesting is the semicircular annexe attached to its western side; a substantial addition measuring over 40 metres along its straight edge and projecting 32 metres westward. This extension, defined by its own earthen banks standing about 65 centimetres high on the interior, shares its defensive ditch with the main moated site along their common boundary.



The annexe, now peaceful pasture land, reveals subtle clues to its past use. A slight depression runs along the inside of the western and northern banks, possibly marking where timber structures once stood against the earthworks. In the southern half, a gently raised platform measuring roughly 17 by 11 metres and standing just 20 centimetres high may indicate the location of additional buildings or storage areas. Such moated sites were typically constructed by Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families during the 13th and 14th centuries, serving as defended farmsteads that combined residential, agricultural, and defensive functions in Ireland’s often turbulent medieval landscape.

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Liscullane, Co. Cork
52.35175154, -8.71947876
52.35175154,-8.71947876
Liscullane 
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