1980-84:0057 - GLANWORTH (Boherash td), Cork

Excavation prior to conservation over three seasons was confined to the western part of the castle and the 13th-century free-standing keep.

The interior and an area immediately to the north of the small rectangular keep were excavated. The interior was much disturbed but some traces of the original mortar floor were discovered. The original wooden first floor was replaced at some stage by two barrel vaults, now collapsed. Removal of rubble revealed the remains of the central supporting wall for these vaults. Against the exterior of the north wall remains of a mortar heap survived from the construction of the building. Two postholes in this probably held supports for a wooden stairs leading to the entrance at first floor level. A complicated series of walls here included what may be part of a fore-building which replaced the wooden stairs. A few sherds of prehistoric pottery and some flint objects were found just above the limestone bedrock in this area.
A badly collapsed structure to the west of the keep proved on excavation have originally been a rectangular gatehouse. Mid way along the passage evidence for a two-leaved gate secured by a draw bar survived. The chamber to the south was vaulted at second floor level while to the north there were two small vaulted chambers at ground floor level with only trap-door entrances. A sheela-na-gig was found in one of these. In the second phase of this building the gate passage was blocked up and the building was extended northwards. A new gateway appears to have been opened in the curtain wall just south of the gatehouse. In the third phase the building was converted into a large tower house and a garderobe turret, which still stands to its full five storeys, was added. Excavation within indicated that the building continued in use up until the early 18th century
During phase three, the castle was extended westwards with the construction of a new west curtain wall and its corner turrets and a new entrance was opened on the north side. A kitchen with a large fireplace and oven was constructed in post-medieval times within the north-west angle of the castle. Further south against the west wall remains of a large bread oven, in use in the early 17th century were found. Part of what appears to have been a town wall was found running westwards from the curtain wall close to the south-west corner.
Most of the finds recovered date from the 17th century and include cannon ball fragments. sherds of pottery both native and imported, iron, bronze and bone objects and coins.

For a plan of the site see: C. Manning, 'A sheela-na-gig from Glanworth Castle, Co. Cork’ in F. Rynne (ed.), Figures from the past, Dublin 1987, 278-82.