County: Laois Site name: CHAPEL HILL, Garrans
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 14:56 Licence number: 93E0051
Author: Dominic Delany
Site type: Building
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 658638m, N 697734m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.027075, -7.125880
Pre-development testing at a potential archaeological site took place over a three-day period in April. The site is located in a forested area which was being cleared in advance of replanting. The first edition of the Ordnance Survey 6" map for Co. Laois (1841, Sheet No. 14) has the name 'Chapel Hill' at the south end of the forest. There is also a large L-shaped building shown here. This was pinpointed as the possible location of the late 17th-century Mass-house at Garrans, which is mentioned in the historical record.
A spread of redeposited soil and crushed building material was located during trial trenching at the site. This feature covered an area measuring approximately 18m north-south x 6m-10m east-west and it had an average depth of 0.15m. The finds from this disturbed context consisted mainly of sherds of 18th/19th-century pottery. This feature undoubtedly represents the site of the L-shaped building. The nature of the surviving evidence indicates that this structure was demolished and the building materials removed, probably prior to planting in the late 19th century. There was no evidence to suggest that this was the site of the chapel.
20-21 Main St., Portlaoise, Co. Laois