Moated site, Knockgraffon, Co. Tipperary South
In the southwest corner of a field near Knockgraffon in County Tipperary, the faint outline of a rectangular earthwork reveals itself against the pasture.
Moated site, Knockgraffon, Co. Tipperary South
This moated site sits at the base of a north-facing slope, its boundaries still traceable as a levelled scarp that defines an area measuring approximately 58 metres north to south and 68 metres east to west. The most prominent surviving feature is the southern defensive line, where a modified bank rises less than a metre high, accompanied by an external fosse, or defensive ditch, that’s roughly 6.5 metres wide.
The interior of the enclosure slopes gently northward and remains clear of vegetation, suggesting either recent maintenance or regular grazing. Earthen material has been deliberately piled against the inner face of the southern bank, possibly representing later modifications or repairs to the original structure. The modern field boundary runs along the monument’s southern and western edges, preserving its outline whilst incorporating it into the current agricultural landscape.
Historical mapping provides valuable context for understanding the site’s original extent. The 1905 Ordnance Survey six-inch map depicts the enclosure as considerably larger than its current visible traces suggest; approximately 78 metres north to south and 85 metres east to west, with scarps on all four sides and a section of bank visible at the northwest corner. At that time, the entire monument was enclosed by a field boundary. Another enclosure lies about 140 metres to the north, suggesting this area may have been home to multiple defensive or settlement sites during the medieval period, when such moated sites typically served as fortified farmsteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families.





