Moated site, Crohane Lower, Co. Tipperary South
In the reclaimed grasslands of Crohane Lower, County Tipperary, a subtle hollow depression on a northwest-facing hillside marks where a medieval moated site once stood.
Moated site, Crohane Lower, Co. Tipperary South
The location, tucked into the undulating upland landscape with a stream flowing immediately to its northwest, would have been carefully chosen by its original builders; the natural water source made it ideal for filling the defensive moat that once surrounded the settlement.
Historical maps tell the story of this site’s gradual disappearance. The 1840 Ordnance Survey six-inch map clearly shows a small, square-shaped earthwork at this location, but by the time the 1906 edition was produced, the feature had vanished from the cartographic record. This suggests the earthwork was levelled sometime between 1840 and 1903, likely as part of agricultural improvements or land reclamation efforts that were common throughout Ireland during this period.
Today, visitors to this quiet corner of South Tipperary would need a keen eye to spot any trace of the medieval past beneath their feet. The slight depression in the grassland is all that remains of what was once a fortified homestead, probably dating from the Anglo-Norman period when moated sites were built across Ireland as defended farmsteads for colonising families. These sites typically consisted of a raised platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch, providing both security and a statement of status in the medieval landscape.





