Moated site, Aughnagomaun, Co. Tipperary South
Standing on a natural rise in the pastureland of Aughnagomaun, County Tipperary South, this medieval moated site commands impressive views across the surrounding countryside.
Moated site, Aughnagomaun, Co. Tipperary South
To the northwest and north, Killough Hill dominates the horizon, whilst another ringfort lies just 370 metres away in the same direction. The elevated position would have been deliberately chosen by its medieval builders, offering both defensive advantages and a clear vantage point over the local landscape.
The monument itself consists of a raised rectangular platform measuring approximately 31 metres north to south and 21.5 metres east to west. This central area is surrounded by a substantial earthen and stone bank that remains remarkably well preserved despite the centuries. The bank measures about 5 metres wide at its base, narrowing to between 1.5 and 2 metres at the top, and stands roughly half a metre high when viewed from the exterior. Unfortunately, a modern field boundary cuts through the northern section where the bank has been levelled, but the rest of the enclosure remains largely intact.
Along the western side of the site, careful observation reveals faint traces of what was once an external fosse, or defensive ditch, that would have provided an additional layer of protection for the site’s inhabitants. Moated sites like this one were typically constructed during the Anglo-Norman period in Ireland, serving as fortified homesteads for wealthy farming families or minor nobility. The combination of the raised platform, substantial banks, and defensive ditch would have created a formidable defensive position whilst also displaying the status and wealth of its medieval occupants.





