County: Dublin Site name: CORR CASTLE, Howth Road, Howth
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 15:25 Licence number: 98E0349
Author: Rónán Swan, Arch-Tech Ltd
Site type: Castle - tower house
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 728706m, N 739321m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.388350, -6.065070
Testing took place at this site for a period of six weeks, commencing on 3 August 1998, to determine the interface between the undisturbed deposits on the rise and the backfill deposits of the surrounding quarry, and also the nature and extent of archaeological deposits in the vicinity of the castle. It was undertaken in compliance of An Bord Pleanála planning conditions. This development is being undertaken in the vicinity of Corr Castle, which is intended for use as the focal point within the development.
For the past 150 years this site has been used as a limestone quarry, and it has been backfilled within the past twenty years. An aerial photograph shows that the quarrying activity avoided the castle itself and an area 10m around it.
Five cuttings were excavated initially, positioned to identify the limit of the archaeological area, while a test-pit was positioned to determine the existence of a bawn wall (at the north-western corner). It was decided to extend the scope of the testing programme as a cobbled layer was found to the front of the castle, a garderobe chute found on its south-eastern corner and a limekiln identified to the north-east of the castle. As a result of extending the cuttings the entire area to the north of the castle was exposed.
The area of cobbles extended across the entire area to the north of the castle. This surface seems to be contemporary with the castle, as the layer extends into the ground floor and is at the same level as the base of the jambstones. The eastern edge of the cobbling is aligned to the eastern edge of the castle and stair tower. Also uncovered was a cobbled driveway leading from the east onto the rise. This driveway is defined on the northern side by a setting of boulders and on the southern by a setting of roughly cut stone. These cobbles appear to be set directly upon natural deposits. Artefacts recovered from above the cobbled layer included sherds of gravel-tempered ware.
There was no evidence of a bawn wall; however, there was evidence of a one-course, mortared plinth that may have been used to support a gallery-type feature to the front of the castle.
To the east a cutting was positioned from the base of the castle to the edge of the quarry. There was evidence of the deposition of a layer of stone chippings to provide a level surface for the castle's construction, beneath which was a layer of burning on the surface of the bedrock.
A single cutting extended to the south of the castle. As with the eastern trench, fissures in the bedrock were filled with stone chippings to provide a level surface for the construction of the castle. At the southern end of the cutting sherds of 13th/14th-century medieval pottery were recovered, but they were not associated with any archaeological features or structures.
A cutting was positioned to the west leading from the base of the castle to a recent boundary wall. This area had been used on several occasions for the dumping of charcoal and ash from fires, which were probably associated with the occupation of the castle itself. However, at the eastern end of the cutting an area of burning was identified that extended under the castle. A stone setting was evident at the base of the garderobe chute. It seems that this setting was designed to collect the effluent, which could be subsequently dumped elsewhere.
The aim of this testing was to define the extent of the archaeological area around the base of the castle. To the north the limit of the archaeological area is a maximum of 13m from the base. The quarry deposits are 11m from the western wall of the castle, just on the far side of the western boundary wall. On the eastern side the quarry deposits are within 5m of the base of the castle, while the quarry did not extend to the south of the castle.
Historically, Corr Castle is believed to have been built during the 16th century—the first record of the castle refers to the White family living here in 1550. However, the architectural features of the castle may place its construction a century earlier, while the areas of burning to the west and east of the castle and the 13th/14th-century pottery that has been found throughout the site, but particularly to the south of the castle, suggest an earlier phase of activity, pre-dating the construction of the castle.
32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
