County: Offaly Site name: GARRYCASTLE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 29:60 Licence number: —
Author: Dominic Delany
Site type: House - fortified house
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 601733m, N 712929m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.166846, -7.974076
Archaeological monitoring of topsoil-stripping was undertaken at Garrycastle, Banagher, Co. Offaly, in December 1997. A number of areas were stripped as part of the ongoing restoration and extension of an existing Georgian dwelling-house inside a late medieval bawn. The archaeological remains at the site comprise a tower-house, a fortified gabled dwelling, and a large irregular bawn with gatehouse at north and circular angle-towers at north-west and south-west. Topsoil-stripping was confined to the areas on the south and south-west sides of the Georgian house, the area within the existing extension on the west side of the house and the site of the proposed septic tank and percolation area about 20m north-east of the house.
The topsoil consisted of a dark brown clayey silt with moderate inclusions of roots, cobbles, pebbles, brick, slate, mortar and modern pottery sherds and glass fragments. Naturally occurring deposits of orange silty clay and light brown medium sand were encountered at a depth of 0.45m. Two wall foundations were encountered on the south side of the dwelling-house. The foundations were 0.55m wide and were of rubble limestone masonry facing a mortared rubble core. The foundations were those of a demolished structure which abutted the south gable of the dwelling-house. This structure was entered through a brick-arched doorway (now blocked) in the bawn wall immediately south-east of the dwelling-house.
No deposits or features pre-dating the Georgian house were encountered.
20–21 Main Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois
