What is recorded here

Castle Bank, Knockroe (talbotstown Lower By.) is a motte and bailey on the north summit of a steep ridge south of Hollywood. Its sixty-metre mound incorporates the ridge spine, rises five to six metres, and supports a flat fifteen-metre top above a narrow rocky valley. Collapsed masonry still lies on the motte side and at the fosse base, hinting that stone walls once stood where grass and memory remain.

Situated on the N summit of a steep-sided N-S ridge in a narrow rocky valley S of the Anglo-Norman town of Hollywood (WI009-017----). The motte consists of a steep-sided mound (dims. 60m N-S; 50m E-W; H 5-6m) which incorporates the spine of the ridge and has a flat top (diam. 15m). The surrounding fosse and external bank are well defined at the W and S and can be traced at the E. To the N a flat- bottomed fosse (Wth 5m; D 2.5m) divides the motte from the level bailey; and there is a centrally located causeway (Wth 3m). Large sections of collapsed masonry occur on the side of the motte and at the base of the fosse at the SW. The bailey consists of a largely natural platform (dims. 50m N-S; 45m E-W) defined by a steep scarp and with traces of earthworks along the E side. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 December 2008

Built by Anglo-Norman settlers in the 12th or 13th century, Castle Bank, Knockroe was likely held by a local lord or military commander to control the surrounding valley and protect the nearby Anglo-Norman town of Hollywood. Its strategic position on a prominent ridge highlights its importance in the medieval defense and expansion of Norman influence in the region.

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