Moated site, Ballynaboley, Co. Kilkenny
On raised ground at the base of a west-facing slope near Ballynaboley in County Kilkenny, the remains of a medieval moated site offer a glimpse into Ireland's defensive past.
Moated site, Ballynaboley, Co. Kilkenny
The site commands good views across the landscape from south-southeast to southwest, with the Ballynaboley tower house visible about 600 metres to the northwest. The location was clearly chosen with care; marshy ground to the north and east, fed by several natural springs, likely provided the original water source for the defensive moat that once surrounded this fortified homestead.
The site consists of a roughly rectangular raised platform measuring approximately 34 metres north to south and 25 metres east to west, enclosed by an earthen bank that still rises about half a metre above the interior and 1.3 metres on its outer face. Beyond this bank, traces of an external fosse, or defensive ditch, can be detected on three sides, though it’s barely visible today. The bank itself is best preserved along the northern, southern and western sides, whilst the eastern section has been almost completely worn away over the centuries. An original entrance, three metres wide, breaks through the northern bank near its western end.
One curious feature is a crescent-shaped hollow that cuts through the southwestern corner of the bank and curves into the interior, running for about 12 metres. This depression, which drops nearly a metre below the interior level at its deepest point, may represent later activity or damage to the site. Today, a modern field boundary runs along the western edge of the old fosse, and whilst the bank and interior remain clear of vegetation, a few large limestone boulders scattered about the interior serve as reminders of the site’s long history of use and abandonment.





