Moated site, Tobinstown, Co. Carlow
Set on a gentle northeast-facing slope overlooking the Derreen River, the moated site at Tobinstown in County Carlow offers a fascinating glimpse into medieval Irish settlement patterns.
Moated site, Tobinstown, Co. Carlow
The site, positioned 220 metres west of the river, takes advantage of the natural topography, with a shallow ravine running east to west immediately north of the monument. This strategic placement would have provided both defensive advantages and access to water, crucial considerations for medieval inhabitants.
The monument consists of a substantial rectangular enclosure measuring 48.4 metres north to south and 43.8 metres east to west, surrounded by impressive earthworks that have survived centuries of Irish weather. The defining feature is a well-preserved flat-topped bank built from earth and stone, standing 2 metres wide and rising up to 1.3 metres on the interior side. Outside this bank runs a deep, flat-bottomed fosse or defensive ditch, 3 metres wide and reaching depths of up to 2 metres in places. The fosse remains clearly visible along most of the perimeter, particularly well-preserved from the southern to western sections, though it can be traced from the northeast around to the northwest.
An entrance gap, 4 metres wide and positioned near the centre of the eastern side, provides access to the interior. Interestingly, a second outer bank exists on the eastern side only, though archaeological evidence suggests this may be a later addition, possibly part of a post-1700 field boundary system rather than an original defensive feature. Supporting this theory, traces of a shallow fosse about 25 metres east of the outer bank likely indicate an adjacent enclosed field from the same later period. Today, the southern half of the interior has been overtaken by thorn bushes, whilst the northern portion remains in use as pasture, a reminder of how these ancient sites continue to form part of the living landscape of rural Ireland.