the lord ate in public, held council, or delivered justice, the chamber block where the
lord resided, the granary and the chapel. 

From the Bailey a wooden footbridge led into the tower, the last line of defence. 
In the event of an attack the footbridge would be destroyed to prevent enemy access.

This castle is based on ones found in Britain and Western Europe, as there are very few
to be found in Ireland. Instead, they used wooden towers on top of large earthen
mounds, known as Mottes, or fortified their strongholds by means of high palisaded
earthen banks surrounded by deep ditches.

The reconstruction shown above, is situated below an important archaeological site -
the first Norman stronghold in Ireland. The ditch still survives. This site was constructed in Wexford by Robert Fitzstephen, in 1169/1170.
The original ditch, cut out of rock, was up to 7 metres wide and 2 metres deep in
places. 

No definite structures were found, but there was a lot of habitation refuse discovered,
including animal and fish bones, shells, 13th pottery and two silver pennies dating from
the reign of King Henry III.