Rath Turtle Moat

Rath Turtle Moat is a ringwork and National Monument located in County Wicklow, Ireland.[1][2]

Rath Turtle Moat

Ráth Torcaill
Shown within Ireland
Alternative name	Rathturtle Moat
Location	Deerpark, Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland
Region	Wicklow Mountains
Coordinates	53.179395°N 6.557808°W
Altitude	286 m (938 ft)
Type	ringwork
Length	49 m (161 ft)
Width	36 m (118 ft)
Area	0.55 ha (1.4 acres)
History
Builder	Anglo-Normans
Material	earth
Founded	12th century AD
Cultures	Anglo-Norman
Site notes
Ownership	private
National Monument of Ireland
Official name	Rathturtle
Reference no.	662

Location

Rath Turtle Moat is located in Glen Ding Wood, 1.6 km (0.99 mi) northwest of Blessington, overlooking the River Liffey reservoir and near the source of the Morell River.[3]

History

The site is believed to derive its name from the Meic Torcaill, a leading Norse-Gaelic family in 12th-century Dublin. The site later came under Norman control. Ringworks like that at Rath Turtle were built during the earliest phase of the Norman conquest of Ireland. They usually had a wooden gate tower, with a stone-lined causewayed entrance and stone-lined banks topped by a wooden palisade.[4]

Description

The ringwork is ovoid and consists of a raised central area enclosed by a high earthen bank, an external fosse and an external bank. The entrance is to the south has a causeway across the ditch.

References

1. "Dáil Éireann - 14/May/2003 Written Answers. - Archaeological Sites". Houses of the Oireachtas. 14 May 2003. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
2. CHI. "The Rath Turtle Ringwork near Blessington, Co. Wicklow".
3. "Rath Turtle Moat".
4. "Co. Kildare Online Electronic History Journal: PLAYING CUPID AMONG THE KILDARE HILLS".