County: Galway Site name: ARDAMULLIVAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 128:3 Licence number: 02E0280
Author: Martin Fitzpatrick, Arch. Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Castle - tower house
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 544329m, N 695663m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.008782, -8.829527
Excavations were undertaken at Ardamullivan tower-house, Gort. Wall paintings, currently being conserved, had been uncovered on the plaster in the main chamber at first-floor level, and difficulties were arising with dampness in the chamber. It was decided to remove the clay covering of the stone vault at this level and to replace it with a suitable flooring that might facilitate the conservation of the paintings.
The excavations of the first-floor main chamber proved relatively sterile. The flooring comprised a compacted, mid-brown, sandy clay with localised deposits of a lime-based mortar and occasional small stones. Apart from two disturbed deposits of organic-rich material in the north-eastern and south-eastern corners of the chamber, the stratigraphy comprised various levels of earth and stone filling the haunches on either side of the vault. The haunch on the northern side was filled with material for a depth of 0.64m, and that on the southern side for 0.94m. A thin layer of earth was spread on top of the vault and acted as the floor surface. This method of floor construction is apparent in other tower-houses in the area. In Ardamullivan it was evident that the clay floor had been disturbed in more recent times, as 20th-century glass bottles were recovered from the haunches on either side of the vault.
The removal of the fill from the haunches exposed a large stone vault and the inner faces of the tower-house walls. The construction of the inner face of the east wall was different from that of the other walls of the chamber: the construction of the north and south walls was very crude, while that at the east was more regular. This is not unusual, however, given that the east wall was originally the outer face of the building before the second phase of construction. Further evidence of the tower-house having been constructed in stages was a clear gap between the north and east walls at this level.
The fireplace in the south-western corner of the chamber was evidently a later insertion, and this was confirmed by the excavation. Furthermore, it was apparent that the stone-built fireplace was constructed on top of the existing fill of the haunches. This in effect means that there is no foundation for the fireplace feature. The excavations did not continue to the edge of the fireplace, as this might have undermined the feature.
The excavations provided no conclusive evidence of the function of this level of the building. However, the nature of life in a tower-house suggests that a floor covering could have been placed over the clay and the chamber furnished according to requirements.
Ballydavid South, Athenry, Co. Galway
