1996:385 - ARDOCHEASTY, Ardmore, Waterford

Excavations were carried out at the base of Ardmore round tower in the period 21–23 August 1996, in an area measuring 1.9m x 2.76m x 2.2n. The extent of the cutting, which extended northwards from the north-east quadrant of the tower, was determined by the location of adjacent grave-plots and the planned footprint of a proposed new stairwell to the tower doorway. Engineering specifications required foundations to a maximum depth of 0.65m.

The tower foundations
The tower stands on a plinth (visible above ground) consisting of a single course of cutstone projecting 70–80mm beyond the tower wall and averaging 0.2m in height. Excavation revealed that this plinth sits on a footing of uncut sandstone slabs which extends 0.5–0.7m from under the base of the plinth (and is partly visible at ground level) and rests on a deposit of stony clay. The ground level at the time of tower construction must have been little different to that of today.

The cutting
The cutting was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.75–0.8m; the upper 0.5m consisted of a homogeneous deposit of rich brown sandy loam with high stone content (angular sandstone spalls averaging 0.1–0.15m in length) and occasional charcoal and mortar flecks. This is a disturbed and churned-up deposit as evidenced by the finds, which included coffin-handles, coffin-nails, two sherds of white crockery, a clay pipe stem, two coins of 1915 and 1928, and small quantities of human and animal bone.

In the north-west corner of the cutting, the tip of a small angular stone (A), which could be seen projecting above ground level before excavation, was shown to be the footstone of a relatively modern coffin burial. Fragments of the coffin still survived, and the foot bones were exposed at a depth of 0.65m below present ground level. These were removed and, together with the other fragments of human bone recovered from the cutting, will be reburied on completion of the project.

Close to the centre of the cutting, a second rectangular stone (B), set on end, was uncovered at a lower level than stone A (the top of stone B was 0.23m below the level of the top of stone A). It was assumed that this was also an (earlier?) grave-marker but there were no traces of a grave or human bones in its vicinity. Two interpretations are possible: (i) the burial it marks lies outside the cutting to the east, or (ii) the stone has been displaced from elsewhere and was placed upright during the backfill of the modern lightning-conductor pit.

The prime cause of disturbance of the soil matrix in this area was the insertion of a copper lightning-conductor rod which runs down the inside of the tower, emerging from underneath the tower at a depth of c. 0.33m and running north-east (with increasing depth) across the cutting. This tunnelling under the foundations of the tower resulted in three of the sandstone footing stones being broken at or close to the base of the plinth. No record could be found of when this work was carried out, but the tower was hit by lightning in the early 1800s and the conical cap was rebuilt in 1875/6, at which time scaffolding was erected to the top of the tower. This would seem to have been a likely occasion for fitting the rod (Kilmacduagh's lightning rod was fitted in 1878).

At a depth of c. 0.5m, the soil became mottled with yellow clay and charcoal flecks and changed to a moist and sticky texture. This deposit was not fully investigated and may contain early features and burials.

Comments
The main item of archaeological interest revealed by this small excavation was the nature of the tower foundations. One of the few excavations carried out at a round tower in modern times was that undertaken by Glasscock at Liathmore, Co. Tipperary, in 1969/70. Here, a circular foundation trench had been dug to a depth of 2.6m and filled with dry limestone rubble, on which the tower wall was then built. This is the model put forward by Lennox Barrow (1979, 23) as the most common type of foundation used, but too few examples have been investigated to support this. At Devenish, Co. Fermanagh, the base of a tower was excavated in 1973 and was found to be a solid plinth. Liam de Paor's work at Inis Cealtra in 1976 exposed part of the base of the tower, which was said to have 'shallow foundations' (Lennox Barrow 1979, 61, 62). Such shallow foundations have been recorded at other towers, e.g. 0.6m below present ground level at Kilmacduagh and Kilkenny, 0.9m at Glendalough, and rabbits have been known to burrow under the tower at Clonmacnoise! In 1992 Edward Bourke carried out limited excavation at the base of the tower at Roscrea, where the foundations were shown to consist of a single layer of footing stones projecting from underneath the tower-a situation very similar to that at Ardnore.

The interior of the tower at Ardmore was excavated in 1841 by Mr Odell, the landowner, together with Messrs Windele, Hackett and Abell, on the advice of the South Munster Society of Antiquaries, who wished to prove that the 'basement stories' of round towers were used for sepulchral purposes. Ardmore was the first of several towers to be investigated, including Cloyne, Roscrea, Cashel, Drumbo, Clones, Devenish, Armoy, Drumlahan, Inniskeen, Tory Island and Timahoe.

The results of Mr Odell's work were published by Brash in 1860–1, and describe a layer of concrete (presumably mortar) at a depth of about 8 feet below the door which lay on a thick deposit of large overlapping flagstones, which in turn lay on another layer of mortar. These rather impenetrable deposits covered a 'stratum of fine mould' containing two human skeletons. Brash describes these skeletons as lying east-west and as being 'perfect', but without grave-goods. The accompanying cross-section through the base of the tower shows the burials at or just below outside ground level. Westropp (1903) contradicts Brash by describing 'two imperfect skeletons the neck of one of which abutted against the foundation stones and was most probably decapitated by the men who dug the foundations of the tower in an older cemetery'. Westropp also mentions a manuscript in the possession of Rev. Graves which describes the 'tibia also cut across'.

It is likely that we have here a case of special pleading by Brash to support his and the South Munster Society of Antiquaries' sepulchral theory. It is probable that the tower at Ardmore was in fact built on an earlier burial-ground, as was the case at Kilkenny and Kilmacduagh. In the limited area examined there was no evidence for burials directly underlying the tower, and in spite of the extensive disturbance I would have expected a greater concentration of redeposited bone in the upper levels examined. However, the sharp rise in ground level just south of the Ardmore tower suggests that the natural slope was probably scarped to provide a level base for the tower, and this would have removed the bulk of earlier burials. Final resolution of this issue will have to await further excavation.

References
Brash, RR. 1860–1 Notes, historical and architectural, of the round tower of Brechin. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 4, 188–210.
Lennox Barrow, G. 1979 The round towers of Ireland. A study and gazetteer. Dublin.
Westropp, T.J. 1903 Notes on the antiquities of Ardmore. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 33, 362–6.

51 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2