Moated site, Carrowreagh, Co. Roscommon
On a broad east-west ridge in Carrowreagh, County Roscommon, lies a curious rectangular earthwork that hints at medieval settlement patterns in rural Ireland.
Moated site, Carrowreagh, Co. Roscommon
This grass-covered platform measures 50 metres from east to west and just over 29 metres north to south, with its boundaries clearly defined by earthen banks that rise between 3 and 3.2 metres wide. From inside, these banks appear modest at only 30 centimetres high, but viewed from the exterior, they present a more imposing face at 1.1 to 1.4 metres in height.
What makes this site particularly intriguing is the presence of fosses, or defensive moats, surrounding all four sides; a feature that speaks to the importance placed on security by its original inhabitants. These water-filled ditches vary in width from 4.3 metres on the southern side to 6 metres on the northern edge, with bases measuring between 2.5 and 3 metres across. Though relatively shallow at 10 to 40 centimetres deep today, they would have presented a significant obstacle when originally constructed, likely much deeper and potentially filled with water year-round.
The site’s defensive nature is evident, though archaeologists haven’t yet identified where the original entrance might have been located. Field banks to the west and north suggest this fortified platform was part of a larger agricultural landscape, possibly serving as a protected farmstead or small manor during the medieval period. Such moated sites are scattered throughout Ireland, representing a fascinating chapter in the country’s rural history when local landowners felt the need to surround their homes with both earthen defences and water barriers.