Moated site, Ballyboro, Co. Wexford
In the gently rolling countryside of County Wexford, a curious rectangular feature catches the eye on old Ordnance Survey maps from 1839.
Moated site, Ballyboro, Co. Wexford
Located in Ballyboro, this moated site sits within a shallow valley that runs west to east, with a small stream flowing roughly 80 metres to the south. The grass-covered platform measures about 25 metres east to west and 22 metres north to south, making it a modest but intriguing medieval earthwork.
What makes this site particularly interesting is its defensive arrangement; a shallow fosse or moat surrounds the platform on three sides, varying in width from 5.5 to 9 metres and reaching depths of 20 to 40 centimetres. Along the inner edge of this moat, except on the western side, runs a slight bank rising just 10 centimetres above the platform. This type of fortified homestead was common in medieval Ireland, typically built by Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families between the 13th and 17th centuries.
A notable feature is the leat, or artificial watercourse, that extends southward from the southwest corner of the site. This would have served to channel water into the moat, keeping it filled and maintaining its defensive capability. Though time has softened its edges and reduced its depths, the site remains a tangible link to medieval settlement patterns in southeast Ireland, when such moated homesteads dotted the landscape as symbols of status and security in an often turbulent age.





