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Situated on S facing slope of a high ridge running E-W, a lake protects the S side of the site which has good views to the S, E and W. This site consists of a circular platform (diam. 70m E-W) defined by an earthen bank which is evident at W only with two wide flat bottomed fosses (Wth 3m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 2m) with high intervening earthen bank (int. H 3m; Wth 1m). The outer defences of the site have been greatly altered on the N and E sides while the lake provides a natural defence at S. Causeway entrance (Wth 3m) at W. In the centre of the platform are the ruins of a tower house (OF024-015001-) with only the SW corner surviving to any height with wall footings elsewhere. No architectural features evident. This site may originally have been a large bivallate ringfort with later medieval tower house built in the centre due to its defensive location on the side of a lake. It has been suggested by Shaw that this earthwork was the ancient fort of the Molloy's (Shaw 1971. 36). Alternatively the enclosure may have been built as a contemporaneous defensive earthwork or bawn protecting the medieval tower house.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 29 December 2011
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