Moated site, Ardavullane, Co. Tipperary South
In the pastures of Ardavullane, County Tipperary South, the remnants of a medieval moated site lie on a gentle north-facing slope.
Moated site, Ardavullane, Co. Tipperary South
The main enclosure forms a sub-rectangular area measuring roughly 20 metres from north-northwest to south-southeast and 18 metres across. Though time has softened its edges, you can still trace the remains of a levelled bank along the eastern and southeastern sides, which stands about 35 centimetres high on the exterior. Elsewhere, this defensive feature has been reduced to a simple scarp, roughly 40 centimetres in height.
What makes this site particularly interesting is its eastern annexe, a rectangular addition measuring 12 by 6 metres that would have served as an auxiliary space, perhaps for livestock or storage. This annexe is defined by low earthen banks up to 65 centimetres high on its outer face, with what appears to be an original entrance on the east-northeast side. Two cattle gaps connect it to the main moated area, suggesting the practical agricultural use of these spaces. Just north of the annexe, a raised platform extends outward, sitting at the same level as the moated site’s interior and defined by a metre-high scarp along its northwestern edge.
The entire complex is surrounded by a fosse, or defensive ditch, which varies in width from about 6.5 metres overall to 2.25 metres at its base, reaching depths of up to 85 centimetres. Some sections have been backfilled over the centuries, particularly on the northwestern and southeastern sides where the outer bank may have collapsed inward. Beyond this inner defence, traces of an outer fosse remain visible on the eastern and southwestern sides, adding another layer to this site’s defensive arrangements. A probable original entrance can be identified on the eastern side, whilst a later breach on the southwest now provides access to this atmospheric remnant of medieval Irish settlement.





