1994:144 - ROCK OF DUNAMASE, Laois

The second season of excavations for the OPW concentrated around the inner gatehouse and the adjacent sections of curtain wall. The area excavated included a large area on the inside of the curtain both west and east of the gatehouse, the gatehouse passage, the front of the gatehouse and the area in front of the curtain wall east of the gatehouse.

As expected, the gatehouse was found to be square fronted. Three new arrow loops were identified in each of the chambers flanking the gate-passage, and the position of the portcullis was located. There was no trace of any form of drawbridge arrangement. There was, however, evidence that the portcullis slot had been defaced and that, at a slightly later date, a fire had been set in the front of the passage and within the eastern flanking chamber. It appears that there was a period of steady decay both before and after the main phase of dismantling the front of the tower.

To the east of the gatehouse an earlier gatehouse was revealed. This was a rectangular stone building measuring 10m by 8m, with opposed openings c. 2m in width set slightly west of centre in the long wall. The walls stand to a height of between 1m and 3m. The defences of this gateway consisted simply of the gate itself, presumably protected from the wall head. The passage rose through the building and there was no evidence to suggest any internal division of the ground floor level and, in the absence of any trace of vaulting, it is believed that the upper floors were wooden. In the second phase of the building, stone batters were added against the south wall on either side of the gate and to the north-east corner of the building. That at the north-east corner was built around a square wooden upright which was possibly part of the wooden stair for access to the upper stories. In the third phase, which is contemporary with the building of the new gatehouse, the gate was blocked off and an arrow loop inserted into the blocking and a second loop cut into the south wall east of the gate. The batter was also continued across the blocking and the north door was narrowed down. At the same time the inside of the building was levelled up with a thick layer of crushed sandstone. The ground level to the north of the building had risen by this time and it was necessary to insert a step down into the building and a drain which ran across the building to open out through the new batter.

With the blocking of the early gatehouse the south wall was adapted to become part of the new curtain, while the inside of the building seems to have been used for ancillary purposes. For a time it appears to have been a smithy and then for a short while it was divided into three, with raised platforms at either end. Then, at a time when its roof is believed to have been off, a circular daubed wicker structure c. 2.8m in diameter was inserted into the north-west corner. The function of this is not clear, but charred grain from associated layers suggests that it may have been a corn dryer. It burnt down and was replaced with a similar structure which has no associated burnt material. By the time of these structures the walls were clearly in a state of disrepair because they are both set into a thick layer of stone rubble. Overlying the upper feature were several distinct layers of stone rubble, which suggest a piecemeal decay of the building. At the very surface of these rubble layers and sitting above the turf line were two large blocks of bonded masonry. If these large blocks are the result of the reputed Cromwellian siege, then everything below must be earlier.

Prior to excavation it was known that the curtain wall was pierced by a series of archery embrasures entered from ground level. Work on the walls revealed a further six, one to the west of the later gatehouse to add to the four already known, and five to the east of the gatehouse. Two of these five were added to the fabric of the old gatehouse and three lay in the new section of the wall to the east. It is now abundantly clear that with regularly spaced loops along the whole section of curtain overlooking the (later) barbican, the main emphasis of the defence was put on archery. It is unlikely therefore that the new curtain wall and gatehouse dates to before AD 1200. The tentative suggestion at the time of writing is that it may be the work of William Marshall.

There is a reasonable amount of evidence for pre-castle activity, but it is fragmentary and no good dating evidence was forthcoming. It appears that the curtain follows the line of, and masks, an earlier perimeter which has been cut and largely removed by the later gatehouses. West of the new gatehouse there is evidence of it both inside and outside the curtain in the form of stone rows, while to the east the batter added to the old gatehouse sits upon a partially demolished dry-stone structure. Most of the early stratigraphy on the outside of the curtain has not survived but, on the inside there were pockets around the old gatehouse and a considerable thickness to the west of the gatehouse. However these were simply earth layers and no definite features were recorded other than the stone structures already mentioned.

West of the gatehouse on the inside a post-medieval two-flue lime kiln was uncovered and left in situ for display purposes.

When the modern rubbish and debris found in the topsoil layer is discounted, the datable finds are nearly all medieval. The number of post-medieval sherds is very low, and the other usual post-medieval indicators such as clay-pipe and bottle glass are remarkable by their virtual absence. There is simply no artefactual evidence for post-medieval occupation. The bulk of the pottery, by sherd count, is Leinster cooking ware, followed by Irish and English glazed wares. Continental imports are few. The metal from the site, especially the iron, is in superb condition and includes arrow-heads, horse trappings, locks, keys etc. There were two medieval pennies, one of King John, the other not yet identified and a possible cut halfpenny. Two crucibles attest the working of fine metals on site and a fragment of gold filigree was found in a context that suggests that it was due to be melted down before it was lost. Large quantities of slag show that iron was also worked on site. Bone objects include dice, combs and a gaming piece. There is evidence to suggest that the dice, at least, were made on site. Finally, on a more gruesome note, several fragments of skull, found within the rubble of the early gatehouse, probably once adorned the parapets of the castle.

Cragg, Birdhill, Co. Tipperary