What is recorded here

Castle, ringwork in Newtown (holycross Par.) stands on a steep ridge above the River Suir, using a seven-metre cliff and marshy floodplain instead of building every defensive bank. Brambles and scrub now strangle the earthworks, hiding a raised interior cut by a deep U-shaped ditch and steep clay bank. The missing eastern defence is not a flaw but a choice, trusting the sudden drop and water to keep intruders out.

Situated on the N edge of a steep natural ridge with the River Suir running roughly N-S c.50m from the E side of the site. The surrounding fields are in pasture, though the land to the E is very marshy and liable to flood. The site is very heavily overgrown with trees, scrub and brambles. The interior is raised considerably and is defined by a scarp (H 3.5m) and a deep U-shaped fosse (Wth 4m; D 4.2m) and steep outer bank (Wth 3-4.6m; ext. H 1m). The bank is mainly composed of clay with some stone. The diameter was unobtainable. There is no outer fosse or bank in the E sector where the site is adequately protected by a steep drop to the exterior utilising the natural sharp fall in the slope (H 7m) which continues to fall by c.2m to the marshy flood plain. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

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