County: Kilkenny Site name: KELLS (Rathduff td)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: T. Fanning, National Parks and Monuments Branch, Office of Public Works.
Site type: Religious house - Augustinian canons
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 649839m, N 643446m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.540076, -7.265289
The final season of excavation in 1975 was concentrated on the levels within the E and S ranges. Within the E range the medieval floor levels contained a considerable quantity of pottery, a lead bulla of Innocent III and a hoard of English short-cross pennies together with a Scottish halfpenny of William the Lion. In one of the rooms adjoining the chapter house a number of coins dating from the reigns of Henry II and John were stratified beneath a destruction level.
The S range yielded few early finds of interest but excavation in the E corner revealed the outline of the main domestic drain. This had a depth of almost 2m, was paved with slabs and faced with dry walling. Although it was not possible to uncover the full extent of this feature it was clear that it ran along outside the south range into the domus necessarium and eastwards to the main enclosure wall where it joined the stream feeding into Kings River. The grey sandy fill contained some interesting pieces of late and post medieval pottery and an almost complete bronze drinking mug (probably 15th century). It is hoped to commence the conservation and presentation of the excavated features during 1976.
