Mutton Pie Hill, Murgasty, Co. Tipperary South
Atop one of the substantial gravel hills that form the Tipperary Hills recreational parkland sits an intriguing medieval earthwork known as Mutton Pie Hill.
Mutton Pie Hill, Murgasty, Co. Tipperary South
This motte, a type of fortification typical of Norman construction in Ireland, takes the form of an oval mound measuring roughly 42 metres from west-southwest to east-northeast and 28 metres from north-northwest to south-southeast. The monument rises impressively from the natural hillside, its steep scarps climbing 6.5 metres high on most sides, though the western approach is slightly lower at 5.5 metres but compensates with an even steeper gradient.
A tarmac pathway now circles the base of the motte, following a relatively level ledge that varies in width from 12 metres on the western side to just 5.5 metres on the eastern approach. This ledge likely marks where the artificial construction meets the natural gravel hill beneath. The flat-topped summit, now covered in grass, still bears traces of benches that were installed along the edges, offering visitors a place to rest whilst taking in views across the surrounding landscape.
Historical records show that Mutton Pie Hill has long attracted scholarly attention; it appears in the Ordnance Survey Letters of the 1840s, and in 1913, archaeologist Flynn published a detailed description complete with plan drawings and cross-sections of the structure. These early surveys help us understand how little this remarkable earthwork has changed over the centuries, standing as a testament to the engineering skills of its medieval builders and the enduring nature of these defensive structures across the Irish countryside.





