View from Nobber graveyard

Nobber Motte

The Motte and bailey at Nobber was built by the Lord of Meath, Hugh de Lacy. He granted it to Gilbert de Angelo, the Baron of Morgallion. The Irish name for Nobber is an Obair meaning "The Work" and refers to the Motte and bailey. As you enter the the town from the north the Motte is a very imposing sight, just imagine how it may have looked with a wooden tower on the top. It stands around 6.5 metres in height and is 40 metres in diameter at the base. In 1227 the burgesses of Nobber received four carucates (townlands) in return for building a causeway between the motte and the town. The Motte, which was still in use as a fortified site in 1648, was taken by Sir Henry Tichborne during the War of the Three Kingdoms.