Moated site, Ahadagh, Co. Limerick
In level pasture land in County Limerick, approximately 40 metres northeast of a ringfort, lies a curious rectangular earthwork that hints at medieval defensive architecture.
Moated site, Ahadagh, Co. Limerick
This slightly raised platform measures 17 metres from north to south and 34 metres from east to west, with its boundaries clearly marked by a scarped edge that rises about 30 centimetres above the surrounding field. The feature is further defined by an external fosse, essentially a defensive ditch, that runs along the eastern and northern sides. This shallow depression, roughly 20 centimetres deep with a base width of 1.4 metres, would have provided an additional layer of protection to whatever structure once stood here.
The site at Ahadagh represents what archaeologists classify as a moated site, a type of medieval settlement that became particularly popular in Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period from the late 12th century onwards. These rectangular or square enclosures, surrounded by water-filled ditches, typically housed the timber or stone dwellings of minor lords, prosperous farmers, or colonial settlers. The moats served both defensive and status purposes; whilst they offered some protection from raids, they also demonstrated the owner’s wealth and social standing in the community.
What makes this particular site intriguing is the possible entrance feature identified at the north-northwest corner, which would have controlled access to the enclosed area. The proximity to a ringfort, a much older Irish defensive structure typically dating from the early medieval period, suggests this location had strategic importance across different historical eras. Today, whilst the raised platform and surrounding ditch may appear modest to the casual observer, they represent layers of Irish history written in earth and stone, from the Gaelic traditions of ringfort building to the later Anglo-Norman influences that reshaped the Irish landscape.





