1999:105 - KILCOE CASTLE, Kilcoe, Cork

Kilcoe Castle is on Mannin Island on the northern shore of Roaringwater Bay, Co. Cork. The main rectangular tower is conjoined to the east by a smaller tower. The owner of the castle is undertaking a programme of complete restoration. Eamon Cotter carried out an archaeological excavation within the area of and to the south of the main tower in 1998 (Excavations 1998, 20).

A test-trench was opened 15m to the west of the main tower. The trench measured 6.8m north-south by 9m east-west. Three wall lines were recorded within the area of the trench. The walls possibly form the western return of the northern and southern bawn walls. The northern wall, aligned east-west, was 7.8m long and 1.1m deep. It is broken at the western end by a doorway, the basal chamfered jamb stones of which were still in situ. The eastern side of a possible window embrasure was recorded 3.65m east of the doorway. The southern wall, aligned east-west, was recorded 6.6m to the south of the northern wall. It was 5.5m long and 1.1m deep. Two stone steps, keyed into the wall, were recorded 0.5m from the western end of the wall. A third wall was recorded in the western section of the trench. It measured 2.6m externally and was 0.7m deep. It may post-date the other two walls.

Two layers had accumulated under the sod overlying the bedrock within the area of the walls. The upper layer was on average 0.5m deep. A variety of cut stone fragments were recovered from this layer including five fragments of chamfered arch stones, an ogee window head, and chamfered door- and window-jambs. Both layers included animal bone, medieval pottery, oyster shells and fragments of roof slate.

Future work on site may shed light on the remainder of the circuit of the bawn wall.

Clover Hill, Mallow, Co. Cork