County: Tipperary Site name: CASHEL: Lower Great Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 6:1-025 Licence number: 97E0080
Author: Mary Henry
Site type: Town defences
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 607324m, N 640569m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.516447, -7.892080
Pre-development archaeological testing occurred on property fronting Lower Gate Street, which is situated to the west of Cashel’s town centre.
The site is located immediately outside the west circuit of the medieval town wall. An 86m stretch of the town wall extended along the entire eastern boundary of the site. The wall survives to a height of 5–6m. A tower surviving in the north-east corner of the site is the only extant example above ground level in Cashel. There was no documentary evidence available to suggest that there was any significant activity outside the west circuit of the town wall during the medieval period.
The test-trenches opened in the south-western, northern and western parts of the site confirmed the absence of medieval or post-medieval archaeological remains in the parts of the site furthest from the town wall. Extensive infilling of relatively modern date occurred in this area. Garden soil occurred beneath the modern infill and overlaid boulder clays, which occurred c. 1m below modern ground level.
With the exception of one test-trench, nothing was found of archaeological interest in the trenches opened within 8m of the town wall. The findings from the test-trenches sited closest to the town wall confirmed the absence of a town ditch outside the western circuit of the walled town. A test-trench abutting the outer face of the town wall extended outwards for a length of 6m from the face of the medieval wall. The town wall extended to a depth of 1.8m below modern ground level. It was battered, well constructed and built on compact and very hard boulder clay. A foundation trench to accommodate the construction of the town wall was uncovered. It was cut into the boulder clay and was infilled with pockets of dark grey clay intermixed with sandy gravel and a silty sand soil with organic inclusions. Medieval pottery was found near the base of the foundation trench.
There was no evidence found to suggest that there was medieval or post-medieval suburban settlement or activity outside the walled town. It can be surmised, in this part of Cashel, that the town wall acted as a boundary for buildings and gardens.
1 Jervis Place, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
