County: Limerick Site name: KING JOHN'S CASTLE, Limerick
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 9300E82
Author: Kenneth Wiggins
Site type: Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 557659m, N 657743m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.669209, -8.625997
Limited archaeological work took place at the castle during April–May 1998, in advance of reopening on completion of its 'Phase 2' development. Phase 2 comprised the Castle Lane commercial properties along the southern curtain wall; the provision of a new exhibition in the visitor centre; a completely redesigned 'forecourt' area in front of the visitor centre, including a new entrance ramp, courtyard gates, paving and trees etc.; as well as partial restoration of the courtyard itself.
The monitoring of the construction of the ramp did not reveal any archaeological material; the location coincided with ground previously opened during excavations at the castle in 1990/1 (Excavations 1990, 43–4). A series of pits was opened for the planting of the trees. Limestone foundations in TPI were consistent with rooms of the extended infantry barracks constructed in the 19th century. In contrast limestone foundations revealed in TP3 were not connected with the barracks and must represent evidence of a building of broadly 18th-century date fronting onto Nicholas Street.
In the courtyard the serious problems of conservation and visitor access to the medieval undercroft in Cutting 2 were largely ignored by Shannon Heritage and SFADCO, although the corridor masonry was recorded. It is expected that a final decision on the fate of the structures here will be made in 1999. In the meantime some of the ground peripheral to Cutting 2 was restored by backfilling the extension to the east of corridor wall F3035 and levelling the yard to the south of corridor wall F3026.
Before the extension was backfilled a small sub-cutting was excavated. The purpose of this was to try and pinpoint the location of the ringwork bank from 1175–6 and the continuation of its limestone facing, first revealed in 1990 (see cover of Excavations 1990). The cutting revealed a steep cut in the natural clay and redeposited boulder clay, which were consistent with the ringwork, but no sign of the limestone revetment. It is possible that the latter was dug out in the 18th century during work on the construction of the foundations of the barracks square.
17 Vartry Close, Raheen, Co. Limerick
