1994:091 - DUNSOGHLY CASTLE, Dunsoghly, Dublin

A watching brief was carried out at Dunsoghly Castle during the construction of the film set for Braveheart in July 1994. The construction of the film set necessitated minor excavation in four separate areas in the immediate vicinity of the castle. Three of these four areas involved digging several holes 0.4m wide and 0.6m deep to receive wooden posts for the mock houses. The fourth area involved the excavation of a trench 9m wide, 7m in length and 1m deep which would act as a ditch or moat under the drawbridge. The film set was constructed on the south side of the castle and none of the four areas were excavated to subsoil.

In Area 1 to the south-west of the castle, the topsoil was 0.15m in depth and lay over a light brown sandy soil. The only finds recovered were sherds of post-medieval willow pattern. Below the topsoil in Areas 2 and 3 to the south of the castle, a 0.1m thick stony layer was uncovered. The stones were about 50mm in size and may have formed part of a path although they did not seem hardpacked. No finds were recovered. The trench opened in Area 4 to the south of the castle revealed a 0.3m thick topsoil above a yellow clay which extended to a depth of 0.58m under which was a yellow/grey layer extending to the bottom of the 0.96m deep trench. Like Areas 2 and 3, no finds were recovered. The only finds from the site came from a narrow ESB trench running southwards away from the set which was not excavated under archaeological supervision. The finds included clay pipes, sherds of black glazed earthenware and an iron stake or hook. This trench was excavated through the topsoil and an underlying grey loam and disturbed a stone wall or drain.