Moated site, Carrownloughan, Co. Sligo
In the rough pasture of Carrownloughan, County Sligo, a rectangular earthwork sits quietly on the southwestern slope of a low hill.
Moated site, Carrownloughan, Co. Sligo
This medieval moated site measures roughly 22 metres from northeast to southwest and 38 metres from northwest to southeast, enclosed by what remains of an ancient defensive ditch or fosse. On the northern and eastern sides, this ditch is still clearly visible, about two metres wide and 30 centimetres deep; whilst along the southern and western edges, its presence is marked only by distinctive bands of thistles growing where the earth was once disturbed.
The site shows subtle but telling features of its defensive past. About two metres inside the perimeter, particularly visible at the northwestern and southwestern corners, a slight raised ridge runs parallel to the outer ditch. This appears to be what’s left of an internal bank that would have once stood alongside the fosse, creating a double barrier for anyone attempting to enter the enclosure. Such moated sites were typically built between the 13th and 14th centuries, often serving as fortified homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families who adopted this defensive architectural style.
Historical maps reveal how the landscape around this monument has changed over time. The 1914 Ordnance Survey six-inch map shows field boundaries that once abutted the enclosure on three sides; at the northwest, south, and east, but these have since been removed, leaving the earthwork standing alone in its field. The site was formally documented in the Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo, compiled by Ursula Egan and her colleagues, ensuring its significance is preserved in the historical record even as the physical remains continue their slow return to the earth.