Local tradition claims this spot witnessed a fierce battle between the warriors of Leinster and Munster in the second century AD, though no written evidence supports this colourful tale. What is certain is that after the Norman arrival, Ardscull grew into a borough of considerable importance, yet curiously, medieval scribes left no specific records about this massive earthwork. The first clear mention doesn’t appear until 1654, when locals petitioned the State for £30 to help complete a fort they’d built atop the ancient mound.

The monument itself is a substantial oval mound, its tree covered slopes rising dramatically from the surrounding landscape. At its summit, enclosed by a defensive bank, the surface bears the scars of extensive digging, likely from the construction of that 17th century fort. The mound’s impressive statistics tell their own story: measuring 122 metres east to west at its base and rising up to 11 metres high on its eastern side, it’s encircled by a narrow fosse and outer bank, with a later lane and road following its perimeter. A ramped causeway on the western side provides access to the summit, where Captain Beaufort’s 1789 survey recorded rectangular structures and what he thought might be either a well or cave entrance. Today, only shallow depressions in the northwest sector hint at these lost features.

At the northern foot of the mound lies an intriguing crescent shaped enclosure, defined by a low curving bank that might have served as an outwork, though it seems rather small for a proper bailey. More compelling is evidence from a 1967 aerial photograph showing a curved scarp about 50 metres north of the monument; this arc, which once marked a field boundary, could represent the remains of a larger defensive bailey. Protected since 1940 under Ireland’s National Monuments Acts, Ardscull Moat continues to guard its secrets whilst offering visitors a tangible connection to the layers of history that have shaped this corner of Kildare.