Castle - ringwork, Dukesmeadows, Co. Kilkenny

Castle – ringwork, Dukesmeadows, Co. Kilkenny

The site of Kilkenny Castle holds layers of history beneath its famous stone walls, with archaeological evidence pointing to earlier fortifications dating back to the Anglo-Norman conquest.

Castle - ringwork, Dukesmeadows, Co. Kilkenny

In 1173, according to the Annals of Tigernach, a castle at Kilkenny, likely a timber motte constructed by Strongbow, came under fierce attack from the combined forces of Domhnall Ó Briain of north Munster and Conchobhar Ua Conchobair. The assault proved devastating; the foreigners abandoned the castle, the town was breached and plundered, and the entire district was stripped bare. This defeat was recorded as causing great grief to the Anglo-Norman settlers throughout Ireland. Following Strongbow’s death in 1176, the lordship of Leinster, including the Kilkenny settlement, passed into royal custody until around 1190 when William Marshal, having married Strongbow’s heiress Isabel de Clare, finally secured his claim to the inheritance.

Archaeological excavations beneath the current castle have revealed fascinating glimpses of these early phases of occupation. In 1992-3, Ben Murtagh uncovered what he described as a ‘sod building’ with evidence of metalworking activity beneath the castle’s central west wing. Pottery sherds found around this structure suggest it dates to the late 12th century, placing it within the early Anglo-Norman period, though precise dating remains uncertain. This modest structure was subsequently buried beneath an impressive earth and timber rampart, part of a ringwork castle that predated William Marshal’s stone fortress. Where best preserved, this rampart stood three metres high and stretched seven metres wide, constructed from layers of redeposited boulder clay likely excavated from the surrounding defensive ditch.

The transition from earth and timber fortifications to the masonry castle we see today occurred in the early 13th century under William Marshal’s lordship. James Ware’s Annals record that in 1192 ‘the castle of Kilkenny was built’, though this likely refers to the beginning of Marshal’s building programme rather than the very first fortification on the site. The stone castle appears to have followed the same general footprint as its earthwork predecessor, at least in its southern half, though the full extent and form of the original defences remain subjects of ongoing archaeological investigation. Whether the earth and timber fortification was a ringwork from the start or represents the bailey of an earlier motte and bailey complex continues to spark debate amongst historians, with some evidence suggesting a motte may have still been standing on the site as late as the early 1300s.

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