1999:054 - KILLALOE CATHEDRAL, Shantraud, Killaloe, Clare

This work was carried out on behalf of the Killaloe Cathedral Restoration Project. The conservation of the Romanesque doorway involved the removal of the existing blocking wall and window, both modern insertions. Monitoring of the removal of the base of this was carried out in February 1999. Subsequently, further lowering of the ground was required in order to construct a foundation for a porch outside the doorway. This was carried out over two weeks in April 1999.

The area excavated was immediately south of the cathedral wall and the threshold of the doorway. It was defined to the west by the buttress wall abutting the wall of the cathedral and to the east by a low retaining(?) wall built at right angles to the cathedral, a width of 3m. The southern definition was 2m from the cathedral, later reduced to 1m in order to avoid the excavation of in situ burials.

The ground sloped gradually in the southern half of the site. In the northern half, near the cathedral wall, this was more pronounced, the result of a lowering of the ground some years ago in an attempt to reduce the damp. The area was excavated in two parts east and west of a central baulk, 0.75m wide.

Around the doorway the outer face of the cathedral wall had been rebuilt before the construction of the two walls (as these clearly abut the cathedral wall). The wall was 0.65m wide to the west of the ope and 0.7m wide to the east. Judging by the stonework and pointing, the wall had been rebuilt in at least two phases-presumably when the Romanesque doorway was put in and later when the window and infill wall were built. Included in the conservation of the doorway was the removal, on the east side, of the later pillar that replaced the inner order. A pencilled inscription on the render behind dated this replacement to 1892.

Two decorated slabs formed the threshold (OD 34.91m). The outer one was partly covered by the base of the blocking wall. Along its northern edge was a row of seven sockets (for a grill?) The inner orders of the doorway were positioned at the joint of the two slabs. To the east, the base overlapped the slab by 0.25m, to the west by 0.5m. Behind this jamb was a 0.05m gap, filled with stoppers, west of which was a rectangular cut block of sandstone (OD 35.075m). This was placed directly in line with the end of the threshold slab, at right angles to the cathedral wall. This block measured 0.31m of visible length north-south by 0.22m wide by 0.2m high. The base of the blocking wall overlay this block, and between the wall and the supporting masonry behind the jamb was a recess in which a 17th-century clay pipe was found. West of the block was a flat facing-stone that directly overlay the plinth stone of the cathedral wall. A similar block stone occurred on the east side of the doorway, 0.09m beyond the slab. It overlay the plinth of the cathedral wall and was covered with mortar.

The excavation ceased at the level of a row of eight slabs (OD 34.911–35.014m) aligned east-west and set at right angles to the threshold and the cathedral wall, below the level of the footing of all three walls and extending under the threshold. The westernmost four were larger, 1.52m long by a maximum of 0.6m wide, narrowing to 0.5m wide (from the threshold). At the eastern end were four smaller stones, some overlapping, 0.98m long and ranging in width from 0.44m to 0.28m. South of these was a layer of dark grey, loose soil and gravel under a band of coarser gravel and slates.

There was no evidence for the construction of the original cathedral wall. All features and deposits were related to the insertion of the Romanesque doorway, the threshold slabs and the two side-walls, the refacing of the cathedral wall and the associated ground disturbance to the south of the doorway. Beyond this were the fills of sand, slate etc., in which were burials presumably post-dating the insertion of the doorway. The purity of the gravel layer, particularly in the north-western corner, implies that once construction fill reached the level of the threshold the area was covered with other material that became the working surface, including the build-up of burnt layers. It may be that the pits, containing only large human bones, were dug on completion of the work to contain bones from disturbed burials.

The upper deposits of sand and slate debris may relate to reroofing activities: possibly the removal of ceramic tiles and their replacement with slates. Judging by the amount of human bone and the looseness of these deposits, they may well contain burials post-dating these works. The compacted surface and sod overlay both areas.

It seems that after the opening was made in the cathedral wall and the ground level was reduced, the footings for the side-walls and the row of slabs were laid. There was then what appears to be a levelling of the area with the placing of mortar, slates and gravel. This was followed by the footing for the refaced part of the cathedral wall, the placing of the threshold slabs, the insertion of the doorway orders and the refacing of the cathedral wall externally. The presence of the bulbous clay pipe bowl in the recess between this and the support for the inner order suggests a 17th-century date for this activity.

The two decorated threshold slabs were placed in opposing directions. The inner one was aligned west-east. It has been described in the Urban Archaeological Survey as an Early Christian cross-slab. The outer one, now fully exposed, seems likely to be another cross-slab and not a cross-shaft (Urban Survey). There was an incised equal-armed cross linked by a circle. Visible on either side of the slightly tapered shaft were two carved panels in different designs. The inner one consisted of a running pattern of six spirals with three juxtaposed foil-like motifs on one side, arranged alternately. On the other side was a running pattern of seven spirals with what looked like a projecting animal snout, also arranged on alternate sides. The end of this panel was terminated by the expanded base of the cross, consisting of an inscribed double line. As described above, there was a further 0.5m of the slab (covered by the sandstone block), but it cannot be determined whether this was also decorated.

The building sequence relating to the insertion of the doorway, coupled with the fact that the two stones were arranged head-to-toe, suggests that they were not in their original position but were specifically reused as the threshold for the inserted Romanesque doorway.

Reference
Bradley, J. et al. c. 1988 Urban Archaeology Survey Part XV, County Clare. Unpublished report. OPW, Dublin.

City Hall, Limerick