1999:672 - TURIN, Mayo

Pre-development testing was carried out on 14 and 15 December 1999 in response to recommendations made by Dúchas The Heritage Service following receipt of an impact assessment report on a proposed development at Turin townland, Kilmaine, Co. Mayo. The proposed development consisted of the restoration of Turin Castle, its conversion to a residence, including associated services, and the reduction in level of a raised area in the immediate vicinity of the tower-house. The castle stands on undulating, good-quality grassland, 2.5km south-east of Kilmaine village.

Seven trial-trenches were excavated by machine during the testing. They were 10–25.4m long, 1.1–2m wide and 0.4–1.1m deep.

The stratigraphy in the three trenches farthest from the tower-house was natural and undisturbed. The stratigraphy in the remaining four test-trenches, adjacent to three sides of the monument, consisted of topsoil above a rubble deposit 0.2–0.9m thick, above grey boulder clay and bedrock.

The artefacts recovered from the rubble deposit were red brick fragments, mortar, cut and dressed limestone blocks, several animal bone fragments, occasional oyster shells, one modern glass fragment, one modern base sherd and one clay pipe bowl fragment.

The rubble deposit was part of a raised area in the immediate vicinity of the tower-house and consisted primarily of stone, with a small amount of mortar. It would appear to be fabric from the tower-house, attested by the cut and dressed blocks recovered. The upper sections of the walls of the tower-house, which are missing, must have collapsed or been tossed onto the ground below. The modern artefacts recovered from the rubble would suggest that the collapse/demolition occurred in the last 200 years.

Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway