Moated site, Currabaha, Co. Tipperary North
In the flat, poorly drained pastures of Currabaha in North Tipperary sits a remarkable medieval moated site that offers a glimpse into Ireland's defensive rural past.
Moated site, Currabaha, Co. Tipperary North
This square earthwork, measuring roughly 38 metres by 36.5 metres, is surrounded by an earthen bank about 2 metres wide that still rises over a metre high in places. The bank is accompanied by a water-filled moat, ranging from 4 to 6 metres in width and reaching depths of 1.3 metres, which would have provided both defensive capabilities and drainage for the site. A possible entrance, now destroyed, may have existed on the southeast side, where a 3-metre gap in the defences can be observed.
Within the protective embrace of the moat and bank, the grass-covered foundations of a substantial rectangular house dominate the northern section of the interior. This long building, stretching 25 metres from northeast to southwest and 9 metres across, appears to have been divided into two rooms by an internal wall, traces of which remain visible beneath the sod covering. The orientation of the house along a northeast-southwest axis was likely deliberate, possibly relating to prevailing winds or sunlight patterns common in medieval Irish architecture.
The site’s location in an upland area with poor drainage suggests its builders chose defensive advantages over agricultural convenience, a choice reinforced by the presence of another enclosure site to the northeast. These moated sites, which became more common in Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period, served as fortified farmsteads for wealthy landowners who needed protection whilst managing their agricultural estates. The water-filled moat at Currabaha continues to function centuries after its construction, a testament to the engineering skills of its medieval builders.





