2011:572 - LORRHA, Tipperary

Lorrha Development Association was granted planning permission to develop local authority lands adjacent to Friar’s Close/Pairc na Coille, in the centre of the village, for use as a public park. The eastern site boundary comprised the enclosing element or vallum of the early monastic settlement, founded by St Ruadhán in the 6th century. An excavation of a section of the southern part of the site was carried out in 2002 by Stephen J. Linnane (ACS Ltd) and uncovered the remains of a stone-lined well and three cereal-drying kilns, which were thought to be coeval with the establishment of the monastic settlement, as well as confirming the extent of the enclosing ditch (Excavations 2002, no. 1738, 01E0155).

All groundworks undertaken as part of this project were monitored over a number of days in January and February 2011. Results showed that the site, including the extant section of the enclosure, was very disturbed and had been used as a dump. The northern section of the site comprised a layer of sandy yellow clay under the sod. Although much of the work in this area was low-impact, during the excavation of a soak-pit two animal teeth were recovered at a depth of approximately 0.8m below the ground surface, suggesting that this yellow clay was redeposited. No archaeological features were noted.

As a condition of the Consent, a metal-detection survey was also carried out and a quantity of material was identified, which is being analysed at the time of writing. Other artefacts recovered included a fragment of a medieval floor tile and a small glazed vessel.