Moated site, Ballyrobin, Co. Tipperary South
In the gently rolling pastures near Ballyrobin, County Tipperary, a rectangular earthwork sits on a slight west-facing slope at the base of a small rise.
Moated site, Ballyrobin, Co. Tipperary South
This moated site measures 28 metres north to south and 24 metres east to west, with slightly rounded corners that soften its geometric form. What makes this medieval feature particularly notable is its substantial earthen bank, which reaches an impressive 7.2 metres in overall width, though it narrows to about 2 metres at its crest. The bank stands 35 centimetres high on the interior side but presents a more formidable 1.3-metre face to anyone approaching from outside.
Surrounding this raised platform, a wide, flat-bottomed fosse, or defensive ditch, once provided additional protection. The ditch varies considerably in depth from just 20 centimetres to 80 centimetres, with an overall width of 7 metres and a base spanning 3 to 3.5 metres. Today, the western portion of both bank and fosse has been lost to agricultural activity, with a modern field boundary now running north to south along where the original earthwork once stood. The original entrance point has been obscured by these later alterations, making it impossible to determine how medieval inhabitants would have accessed the site.
An intriguing annexe structure lies immediately to the north, its eastern boundary extending right to the outer edge of the main site’s fosse at the north-northwest corner. The interior of the moated site slopes gently westward and remains clear of overgrowth, making its form easily readable in the landscape. Due to the natural slope of the land, the ground level outside the northeastern and southeastern sections actually sits slightly higher than the interior floor, an unusual characteristic that would have affected both drainage and defensive capabilities when the site was in active use.





