motte historical around west kildare town

Sitting on top of a hill, this is a massive earthwork consisting of a tall round motte about 35 feet high, surrounded by a ditch and a bank. Traces of a bailey can be seen on the north side. it was probably erected at the end of the 12th century, but it is first mentioned in the historical sources when it was burned in 1286. Bruce's army met and defeated a strong English force nearby in 1315. Stone buildings at the top may have been added just prior to 1654, but these have vanished. Beside...