County: Galway Site name: GALWAY: 17–21 Eyre St.
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 95E0176
Author: Linzi Simpson, c/o Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd, Rath House, Ferndale Rd, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin.
Site type: Town defences
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 530060m, N 725443m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.274699, -9.048619
The site lies outside the walls of the medieval city, substantial sections of which have been exposed in a series of archaeological pre-development investigations. As a result the circuit of the wall is relatively well established. The mural defences were strengthened between 1643 and 1652 during the Confederate Wars. By 1652 a substantial citadel had been added, by the Cromwellian forces, outside the line of the medieval wall on the eastern side. In addition, a second citadel was added to the west end of the town.
The eastern citadel was very substantial in size, with large bastions at either corner, guarding the central entrance. The south-east bastion was polygonal in shape, part of which was exposed by excavation at Barracks Lane, Townparks (directed by M. Cline, see Excavations 1989, 28). The north-east bastion, however, was almost rectangular in shape with a salient angle, the west wall of which still survives today. The site under discussion lies directly to the north of the latter bastion.
The site was long and narrow and access was restricted to the east side of the site. In addition, the site had been severely truncated at an earlier date, with a reduction in ground level of almost 2m. In total, four test-trenches, all orientated north-west/south-east were excavated by mechanical digger. The northern face of the 17th-century wall was also surveyed.
The test-trenching revealed the remnants of what was probably the watercourse depicted by 17th-century cartographic sources, which is shown as extending along the external base of the wall. It measured at least 8.2m wide by 1.2m deep, cut into the boulder clay and deepest at the northern end towards the wall. A coarse gravel layer lay at the very base. Layers of sand and silt overlay the gravel to a depth of 0.7m, with three sherds of post-medieval pottery suggesting a date from the late 17th century onwards. At a later date the watercourse appears to have been filled in deliberately, with a layer of redeposited boulder clay, 0.35m in depth, dumped into the ditch sealing the layers. This may have been done during reclamation works in the area.
To the north of the main ditch a curving ditch/gully was located which measured 2.2m wide by 0.6m deep. It was filled with a mix of clay and loose stones of assorted sizes. It probably represents a drainage ditch.
To the north of the drainage gully lay the remains of three pits measuring between 1.6m and 1.8m in diameter and between 0.4m and 0.0m in depth. They were filled with a clay mixed with charcoal and oyster shell fragments and represent the bases of what were probably originally very large pits. No datable material was located in any of the fills.
The site assessment included the scaled drawing of the remaining bastion wall and an examination of the surrounding walls. A second wall of possible archaeological significance was the eastern internal wall of the dwelling, which had been removed at the northern end of the site. The exposed internal face of the wall displayed a fine stone round-headed fireplace, at ground-floor level, which was later replaced by a smaller red-brick fireplace. In view of the great number of extant 17th-century houses in the city (evident by stone doorways, stone arches, hood-mouldings, ogee-headed windows and coats-of-arms) it is possible that this dwelling was originally 17th-century in date.
