Type motte Material earth Height 9 m Founded 12th century | Circumference 50 metres (55 yd) Periods Norman Ireland Builder Raymond FitzGerald | |
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Alternate name Castlemore Castle, Fotheret O'Nolan, Rathsillan Location Castlemore, Fennagh,
County Carlow, Ireland Period Norman invasion of Ireland Designation National monuments of Ireland Management Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs | ||
Castlemore Moat is a motte-and-bailey and National Monument in County Carlow, Ireland.
Contents
Location
Castlemore Moat is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest of Tullow and 2 kilometres west of the River Slaney. It is not to be confused with Castlemore House, a 19th-century country house 1 kilometre south of the motte.
History and archaeology
The motte and bailey castle was constructed in the 12th century AD by Raymond FitzGerald (Raymond le Gros), one of the commanders of the Norman invasion of Ireland. The land of Forth O'Nolan was granted to Raymond and he married Basilia, sister of Strongbow. They lived together at Castlemore.
All that remains is the motte, an artificial hill about 9 metres (30 ft) high, and a standing stone measuring 170 by 45 by 30 centimetres (67 by 18 by 12 in) with a Latin cross inscribed in it, with a suppedaneum (foot-rest at the base). The motte is not a perfect circle, but measures 18 metres (59 ft) east-to-west and 13 metres (43 ft) north-to-south.