1998:617 - LOUHGNAFINA, Tipperary

During monitoring works on the Cashel Sewerage Scheme a new site was uncovered. It was noticed during the topsoil-stripping stage and lies about half a mile outside the town of Cashel.

The site was partly excavated. A trench 2.5m wide and 100m long was opened through its centre. Accordingly, it was only possible to get a limited look at the site. Restrictions on the width of the dig (2.5m wide) and its defined location limited the excavation, and a large percentage of the site remained unexcavated. Also, heavy truncation, particularly at the west end of the site, resulted in part of it being destroyed.

Approximately midway along the length of the trench a mound was uncovered. It was relatively close to the surface, 300mm below the present ground level. On the part of the mound excavated no archaeological evidence was found to indicate what function it served. The mound had been greatly truncated at its western side by a large number of interconnecting and overlying pits and cuts. Some of these were filled with gravel and stone. Within a pocket of gravel a very well-preserved zoomorphic penannular brooch was uncovered. Though out of context, the find was noteworthy for its excellent condition and the fact that such brooches have rarely been found in County Tipperary.

To the eastern edge of the mound was a well-preserved metalled surface. This may have extended around the entire mound, but, owing to the limited width of the excavation, it was not possible to establish its extent. It displayed all of the characteristics of having been used and frequently walked on. The surface appeared to have been contemporary with the mound. It extended and sloped downwards for a length of 15m away from the mound and suddenly stopped. At its lowest point it was c. 2m below ground level.

The surface had been truncated by a wide, deep ditch that was not related to the mound or enclosure and had been cut out later. It was c. 4m wide and had a maximum depth of 2.5m. It had been filled with several deposits and contained a reasonable amount of animal bone and pottery dating to the 13th and 14th century. In addition to the ditch being filled with deposits containing finds of medieval date, the metalled surface was covered and backfilled with a substantial number of deposits containing frequent amounts of animal bone and pottery from the 13th and 14th century. These deposits appear to have been brought to the site to backfill it and bring it up to the level of the surface of the mound, which was relatively close to modern ground level. There was no trace of an enclosing embankment or ditch. The wider and later ditch may have truncated the original bank and ditch on the east side of the mound, whereas on the west side of the mound there had been great disturbance by the opening of later cuts and pits that were subsequently filled with gravels, stone and mixtures of soil, stone and gravel. The mound itself had been greatly damaged, and there was no possibility of any enclosing ditch or embankment surviving.

No date was obtained for the mound or metalled surface. The mound was constructed with redeposited builder clay and was built off the natural subsoils. The metalled surface was laid on the natural subsoils. No finds were recovered to give dating clues for either. Regarding the wide ditch, it was dug out after the construction of the mound and the surface. However, it was possible to establish, from datable finds, that it was backfilled sometime before the mid-18th century.

1 Jervis Place, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary