Castle Hill has seen two phases. In the Iron Age it had been a hill fort. Then, around 600, one of the kings of the Uí Chremthainn kingdom, probably Conall, son of Daimen, dug a deep dirch around the top of the hill, with the inner face of the bank walled with timber. This was a ring fort, that was intended as a protective area where the king and his family would live. A timber Royal House was built at the centre of the ring fort, which was defended by a gate tower at the entrance.
Today the banks and the ditch can still be seen, though the trees that crown the hilltop make it difficult to understand the power of such an elevated place.
We came here for the first time on September 10th, 2003.
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