Moated site, Tarmon East, Co. Kerry
Sitting on elevated ground in Tarmon East, County Kerry, this rectangular earthwork offers commanding views across the surrounding landscape.
Moated site, Tarmon East, Co. Kerry
The site consists of a raised earthen bank with an external ditch, known as a fosse, running along its eastern and southern sides. Over the centuries, these features have been incorporated into local drainage systems, which has altered the original shape of the defensive ditch. On the western side, you can still make out a shallow fosse by looking for subtle changes in the vegetation colour; a reminder of how nature slowly reclaims these ancient structures.
The enclosure forms a near perfect rectangle, measuring approximately 36 metres from north to south and 35 metres from east to west when measured from the outside edges. The enclosing bank stands about half a metre high on the interior side and slightly taller at 0.7 metres on the exterior, spreading to roughly 4 metres wide at its base. These dimensions suggest a substantial construction effort, likely requiring organised labour and considerable planning.
Three gaps punctuate the earthen bank; one to the north measuring 1.8 metres wide, another to the east at 5 metres across, and a narrow western break of just 0.7 metres. Whilst these openings provide access today, archaeologists cannot determine which, if any, served as the original entrance. Such moated sites, as they’re known in archaeological terms, were typically built during the medieval period and may have served defensive, administrative, or agricultural purposes. The site was documented as part of the North Kerry Archaeological Survey conducted by C. Toal in 1995, with subsequent research adding to our understanding of this intriguing earthwork.