These distinctive earthwork enclosures, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, were once common throughout the Irish countryside, particularly in areas of Anglo-Norman settlement. The site consists of a raised platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch or ‘moat’, which would have originally protected a timber-framed hall house and its associated farm buildings.

Unlike the stone castles built by wealthy lords, moated sites like Brandonhill were the homes of lesser gentry, prosperous farmers, and minor officials who needed defensible homesteads but couldn’t afford massive fortifications. The moat served multiple purposes; it provided drainage for the platform, created a barrier against cattle and wild animals, offered some protection during raids, and importantly, announced the status of its occupants as people of substance. Archaeological evidence from similar sites across Ireland has revealed everyday objects such as pottery, iron tools, and animal bones, painting a picture of self-sufficient communities engaged in mixed farming.

Today, Brandonhill’s moated site appears as a series of earthen banks and ditches in the landscape, easily overlooked but historically significant. These sites mark the expansion of medieval settlement beyond the towns and major castles, representing the agricultural backbone of the colonial economy. While many of Ireland’s estimated 750 moated sites have been levelled by centuries of farming, surviving examples like Brandonhill help archaeologists understand patterns of medieval land use, the extent of Anglo-Norman influence, and the gradual integration of Norman and Gaelic cultures in rural Ireland.