County: Wexford Site name: MAYGLASS, Pollwitch
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0587
Author: Cathy Sheehan
Site type: House - 18th/19th century
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 701828m, N 611052m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.241776, -6.508954
The Heritage Council has recently approved an extensive conservation programme for an earthen farmhouse in Mayglass. Before the commencement of the project it was necessary to erect a temporary protective structure over the body of the main building. This consisted of a standard, open-sided, six-pillar barn. In order to ensure the stability of the structure the pillars were set into concrete foundation blocks to the front and rear of the dwelling-house. In order to accommodate the concrete blocks three pits were excavated to the rear of the house.
Within two of these garden soil was found to overlie boulder clay. The third pit revealed a previous ground surface level (possibly relating to the alterations to the eastern portion of the house) that underlay a band of redeposited boulder clay. This redeposited layer was in turn covered by topsoil. To the front of the house the foundation blocks were placed on the existing ground surface with a minimum removal of topsoil. To the north-east of the house, after the removal of c. 0.11m of topsoil, a linear arrangement of undressed stones representing the basal level of a drain or gully was exposed. This feature post-dates the alterations to the eastern section of the house.
Hillview, Aglish, Carrigeen, South Kilkenny
