One of Ireland’s largest motte & bailey mounds

This impressive structure is an early Norman fortification known as a motte-and-bailey. These were relatively easy to build and can be found across northern Europe from the 10th century onwards. The Normans were the first to introduce these into the British Isles following their invasion in 1066. This example was probably built in the late 1100s and became a stronghold for the Fitzgeralds. in 1894 a landslip caused by heavy rain disclosed bodies of skeletons to wash from the side of this mound and excavations revealed an even earlier Bronze Age cist grave which suggests this was an ancient barrow mound.

Thanks to Ronan from Primal Ireland – Stories of History & Culture for excellent video on Rathmore