Moated site, Briskalagh, Co. Kilkenny
On the edge of a farmyard in Briskalagh, County Kilkenny, lies a curious medieval earthwork that has quietly endured for centuries.
Moated site, Briskalagh, Co. Kilkenny
This moated site, sandwiched between farm buildings to the north and the southern end of the eastern side, sits in what remains good pasture land. The enclosure forms an unusual trapezoid shape, measuring roughly 40 metres from north to south, with the northern edge stretching about 38 metres east to west whilst tapering down to 25 metres along its southern boundary.
First recorded on the 1839 Ordnance Survey map and appearing again in the 1900 revision, this monument consists of a flat platform surrounded by substantial earthworks. Archaeological surveys conducted by Barry in 1977 revealed that the platform is enclosed by a bank standing one metre high and four metres wide, accompanied by a waterlogged fosse; essentially a defensive ditch; that measures 3.5 metres across and plunges to a depth of 2.6 metres. What makes this site particularly intriguing is the presence of what appears to be a stone-lined entrance in the northeast corner, suggesting this was once a carefully planned defensive structure rather than a simple agricultural enclosure.
Today, the monument has been reclaimed by nature, with trees and dense scrub obscuring much of its original form. Despite this overgrowth, the site remains a tangible link to medieval Ireland, when such moated sites served as fortified homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families. These earthworks, whilst perhaps less dramatic than stone castles, represent an important chapter in Ireland’s settlement history, marking places where communities once thrived within their protective banks and water-filled ditches.