What is recorded here

Castle, motte in Clarabricken stands on the south end of a natural hillock in County Kilkenny, Ireland. A disused quarry has bitten into its north side, yet the broad mound still rises above the pasture and the road at its west base. Local story calls it a wicked druid's grave, but its shape and defensive position suggest a fighting castle instead.

On the S end of a natural hillock, with another larger hillock to the SE, in pasture. A public road runs N-S along the base of the hillock on the W side. A quarry, now disused, encroaches into the N portion of the hillock on which the monument is located. Indicated as a large mound (overall diam. c. 43m N-S; c. 40m E-W) on the 1st (1839) OS 6-inch map and 1900 revision. Clarabricken Castle (KK020-016----) is located c. 185m to the SW. It is described as, 'a large mound or tumulus about 15' [c. 4.5m] tall and at a height of over 30' [c. 9m] above the road. What may have been a slightly sunken fence, with a circuit of about 110 paces surrounds the base of the mound, which is oval shaped at the top and about 18 paces in greatest length and 7 paces at greatest breadth [top diam. c. 18m x 7m]. It is regarded locally as a "wicked druid's grave" and is obviously an important burial mound or tumulus' (Irish Tourist Association Survey 1945, in OPW topographical files). The defensive position of this monument, as well as its morphology, suggest that this is a motte. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 17 November 2020

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