Castle - motte and bailey, Oldcastle, Co. Meath
Sitting atop a gentle rise in the relatively flat countryside near Oldcastle, County Meath, this motte and bailey castle represents one of Ireland's numerous Norman fortifications.
Castle - motte and bailey, Oldcastle, Co. Meath
The motte itself is a circular, flat-topped earthen mound measuring 13 metres across at its summit and 27.5 metres at its base, rising 3 metres above the surrounding ground. Now planted with coniferous trees, the mound is encircled by a defensive ditch, or fosse, that’s particularly well-preserved on the northern side where it reaches 7 metres in width and 1.5 metres in depth. Elsewhere around the motte, the defensive perimeter is marked by a stone wall at its base.
Attached to the western through to the east-north-eastern side of the motte is a crescent-shaped bailey; essentially a fortified courtyard that would have housed the castle’s domestic buildings and served as the main living area for the garrison. This raised platform measures approximately 35 metres east to west and 16 metres north to south at its top, with its boundaries defined by earthen scarps that drop 2 metres on the northern side. Like the motte, the bailey is now covered in trees, giving the entire site a wooded character that belies its military origins.
Whilst a small rectangular enclosure marked by low earthen banks sits atop the motte, measuring roughly 4.5 by 5 metres, this feature is known to be a modern addition rather than part of the original medieval structure. The site has clearly evolved over the centuries, with old farm buildings now standing just west of the bailey and a house built adjacent to the motte on its eastern side. These later additions speak to the site’s continued use and adaptation long after its defensive purpose became obsolete, transforming from a symbol of Norman control into part of the everyday Irish landscape.





