Castle — motte and bailey in Grangefertagh

On a natural hillock, in flat marshy terrain on an island created by the bifurcation of the River Goul, the main river flows roughly E-W to the N, with a lesser flow to the S. There are very good to extensive views to the N, S and W, with a good view to the E dominated by Cullahill hill. Grangefertagh round tower (KK008-047004-) is visible to the ESE on a low ridge and Spahill dominates the view to the SE. The view S is currently obscured by a coniferous plantation. According to the OS letters (1839) this was known locally as 'Mota na Fearta' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 146 (47)). A motte (diam. of top from 25-inch OS map c. 13.5m N-S; c. 17.5m E-W; H 8.2m on N side, H 5.7m above fosse between motte and bailey) with a kidney-shaped bailey diam. of top from 25-inch OS map c. 36m N-S; c. 25m E-W; H 5m on N side; 3.8m on W side, H 2.5m above fosse between motte and bailey) to the W, both heavily overgrown with dense impenetrable scrub. The motte and bailey are enclosed by a berm (Wth 3m on N side and 8m on the S side) and a well-preserved outer bank (Wth 2.7m; overall Wth 7.7m; int. H 1.9m; ext. H 3.35m) which incorporates the fall of the natural scarp on the N side (H above ext. 3.8m), with a slight fosse (Wth 3.5m; D 0.1m) at base of the steep scarp. Towards the NW the scarp is reduced in height and possible that the entrance was in this sector. The outer bank terminates in the NW quadrant and there is a gap between this and the outer scarp in the NNW. In this gap there are three depressions (dims. 4.2m x 4.5m; c. 14m x 6.5m; 11.3m x 13m; D 0.3m), each separated by a bank. It is possible that these depressions are due to localised quarrying and there is an indication on the 1st ed. (1839) 6-inch OS map of a small quarry in this area. There is also a funnel-like arrangement in the NE sector which may also have been an entrance. There is an area of scrub immediately W and SW of the motte and bailey which has a number of banks running roughly N-S, some roughly parallel, those to the S are suggestive of a trackway (L. c. 80m; W bank Wth 1.5m; overall Wth 3.4m; int. H 1.35m; ext. H 0.2m; trackway possible Wth 4.3m; E bank Wth 1.4m; overall Wth 3.2m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H 0.3m), though this feature terminates c. 70m SW of the bailey. A building, probably a 19th farmhouse, is shown roughly at this location on the 1st ed. 6-inch OS map with a number of field boundaries surrounding it and these may be what survive in the scrub and are probably not associated with the motte and bailey. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 September 2018