Rath Turtle Moat

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Rath Turtle Moat
Ráth Torcaill
Summit of Rath Turtle Moat, County Wicklow, Ireland 5.jpg
A view from the summit of the moat looking south-east towards Blessington Lake
Ireland adm location map.svg
Archaeological site icon (red).svg
Shown within Ireland
Alternative nameRathturtle Moat
LocationGlen Ding, Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland
Region Wicklow Mountains
Coordinates 53°10′46″N6°33′28″W / 53.179395°N 6.557808°W / 53.179395; -6.557808
Altitude286 m (938 ft)
Type ringwork
Length49 m (161 ft)
Width36 m (118 ft)
Area0.55 ha (1.4 acres)
History
Builder Anglo-Normans
Materialearth
Founded12th century AD
CulturesAnglo-Norman
Site notes
Ownershipprivate
Official nameRathturtle
Reference no.662

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

Contents

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. [4] The same name is found in that of the townland of Curtlestown (Irish : Baile mhic Torcaill), located west of Powerscourt. [5] 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. [6] The site has been recognised by the OPW as one of "great historical importance" following an archaeological study of the area. [7]

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.

See also

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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". Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  4. Byrne, F. J. (1999:293). Seanchas: Studies in Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of Francis J. Byrne. Ireland: Four Courts Press.
  5. Smyth, A. P. (1982:44). Celtic Leinster: towards an historical geography of early Irish civilization, A.D. 500-1600. Ireland: Irish Academic Press.
  6. "Co. Kildare Online Electronic History Journal: PLAYING CUPID AMONG THE KILDARE HILLS".
  7. "Glen Ding identified as being of historical relevance". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 April 2024.