This conical structure, known as a motte, is surrounded by a substantial defensive ditch, or fosse, that measures 5.5 metres wide and plunges 2 metres deep. Traces of an external bank can still be seen curving from the northwest to the north, whilst a subtle terrace rings the summit; likely a later addition for aesthetic purposes rather than part of the original medieval fortification.

This motte dates back to 1181 when Walter de Riddlesford, an Anglo-Norman lord, constructed both the earthwork and its accompanying castle as part of the Norman colonisation of Ireland. The de Riddlesfords were amongst the early Norman settlers who followed Strongbow’s invasion, establishing themselves in Leinster and building these characteristic motte-and-bailey fortifications to control their newly acquired territories. These earthen mounds topped with wooden palisades and towers were quick to construct and provided formidable defensive positions in the often hostile Irish landscape.

Today, the motte at Kilkea serves as a tangible reminder of this turbulent period in Irish history when Norman adventurers carved out lordships amongst the existing Gaelic kingdoms. Though the wooden structures that once crowned the mound have long since disappeared, the earthwork itself remains remarkably well preserved, its steep sides and encircling ditch still conveying something of the imposing presence it would have commanded over 800 years ago.