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Castle in Pollardstown

Castle, ringwork

What is recorded here

On a narrow gravel ridge and levelled in the course of gravel extraction. A rougly circular (est. ext. diam. c. 80m), raised area was enclosed by an earthen bank, a deep external fosse and a second, outer bank. Limited archaeological excavation (Fanning 1973-4, 251-61) produced iron objects (including horseshoe nails,…

Read the whole record
On a narrow gravel ridge and levelled in the course of gravel extraction. A rougly circular (est. ext. diam. c. 80m), raised area was enclosed by an earthen bank, a deep external fosse and a second, outer bank. Limited archaeological excavation (Fanning 1973-4, 251-61) produced iron objects (including horseshoe nails, blades, an arrowhead, a buckle and a stirrup) which were interpreted as suggesting the monument was constructed and occupied between the 12th and 14th-century; although it was acknowledged that several finds might date to the 15th-century. While both Fanning (op. cit.) and O'Conor (1998, 35) interpret the monument as a possible ringwork castle, Fitzpatrick (2009, 282) argues that this interpretation ignores the possibility of the native Irish occupying a rath and sharing the material culture of the colonist, or, of incoming manorial tenants occupying an existing rath.

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record KD023-004

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Photo credits
  • Anna Watson, Wikimedia Commons
  • JNC Premier Pitches, contractor and source; individual aerial photographer not stated, www.linkedin.com
  • Chhe ( talk ), Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
  • Maker named on the Wikimedia Commons picture page · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Andreas F. Borchert, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Willow, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
  • Wsiegmund, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
  • 瑞丽江的河水, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Colin Park, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Jonathan Billinger, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
  • National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
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