Castle in Tonashammer

Situated on a low rise in hilly undulating pasture land with extensive views to the N. Lough Naneagh 430m to SE. Stream forming townland boundary which flows out of Lough Naneagh forms E field boundary 10m NE of motte. Castle (WM001-050----) located 420m to NW, present roadway curves around S side of motte. A steep-sided gently round-topped mound (Wth 3-4m; H 6m), enclosed by a fosse from NW-N-E only, stands on the SSW edge of a circular area (approx. diam. 33m N-S; 32m E-W) defined by a substantial earth and stone bank, fosse and external bank and outer fosse only visible from E-S-W. From SE-S-W a modern laneway and fence encloses this outer fosse. A narrow causeway entrance is visible at SSE which gives access to the bailey area adjacent to the base of the motte. The siting of the mound in relation to the enclosing bank of the circular area may suggest that this earthwork was built originally as a bivallate ringfort (overall ext. diam. 59m N-S; 62m E-W). The ringfort was converted to a motte and bailey by the construction of a motte on the SSW perimeter utilising the ringfort bank and using the interior as a bailey for the timber castle.