Moated site, Creemore, Co. Meath
Rising from the rolling countryside of County Meath stands a curious remnant of medieval Ireland; a moated site that once served as a fortified homestead.
Moated site, Creemore, Co. Meath
The rectangular grass-covered platform at Creemore measures 17 metres east to west and 11 metres north to south, elevated roughly 2.5 metres above the surrounding landscape. This raised earthwork is encircled by what archaeologists term fosses or moats, defensive ditches that are 12 to 16 metres wide at the top and narrow to about 2 metres at their base.
These water-filled ditches would have provided both defence and drainage for the platform above, a common feature of Anglo-Norman settlements in Ireland from the 13th and 14th centuries. The moats themselves are quite substantial, with internal heights matching the platform at around 2.4 metres and external depths of just over a metre. A subtle indentation on the northern edge of the platform likely marks where a bridge or causeway once provided access to the site, allowing residents and visitors to cross the protective waters.
First documented in detail during a 1969 survey, this site represents one of hundreds of similar moated sites scattered across the Irish midlands. These earthworks typically housed timber-framed manor houses or farm buildings, serving as administrative centres for Anglo-Norman lords or prosperous farmers who needed both to display their status and protect their households from raids. Though the buildings have long since vanished, the impressive earthworks remain as a testament to the medieval transformation of the Irish landscape.





