Dunnamona
Dunnamona is a motte-and-bailey and National Monument in County Westmeath, Ireland.[2]
Quick Facts Location, Region ...
Dún na Móna | |
Location | Dunnamona, Drumraney, County Westmeath, Ireland |
---|---|
Region | Tethbae |
Coordinates | 53.499548°N 7.783629°W / 53.499548; -7.783629 |
Type | motte |
Diameter | 36 m (118 ft) |
Height | 9 metres (30 ft) |
History | |
Builder | Dillon family |
Material | earth |
Founded | 12th century |
Periods | Norman Ireland |
Cultures | Cambro-Norman, Old English |
Site notes | |
Public access | yes |
Official name | Dunnamona |
Reference no. | 560[1] |
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Dunnamona motte is located next to a tributary of the Owenacharra River, 4.7 km (2.9 mi) east of Tubberclare.[3]
Motte-and-bailey castles were a primitive type of castle built by the Norman invasion, a mound of earth topped by a wooden palisade. This region, known as Tethbae, was allotted to the Dillon family, descendants of Sir Henry de Leon (c. 1176 – 1244). They built the motte at Dunnamona ("hillfort of peat") as well as another at Drumraney, later abandoning the mottes for permanent stone castles.[4]
- "National Monuments of County Westmeath in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 1. Retrieved 14 August 2022.