2002:0742 - HIGH ISLAND, Galway

The eighth season of excavation on High Island, Co. Galway, was undertaken over seven weeks from late June to early August 2002. Following on from previous years’ work, excavation continued to completion in two areas, Areas 4 and 8.

In Area 4 (the area surrounding Cell A, the smaller of two upstanding beehive huts, incorporating part of a cashel wall on the north side and a later, subrectangular building) excavation revealed the exterior (north) face of the primary cashel wall. This wall appeared to have been constructed on introduced soil and stone laid down over 0.2–0.3m of peat. The wall was not well preserved and stood in places to a maximum height of 0.4m. However, the wall clearly pre-dated the annulus surrounding Cell A, as masonry from the annulus was exposed abutting the face of the earlier wall. The relationship of the primary cashel wall to the beehive hut, Cell A, was not as clearly identified. However, a deposit at the base of the primary cashel wall also formed the bedding deposit for the cell, suggesting that the primary cashel wall and the cell are contemporaneous. This relationship will hopefully be clarified during proposed reconstruction work when a small area (not possible to excavate in 2002) at the interface between the two structures will be excavated.

In Area 8 (the area surrounding Cell B, the larger of the surviving beehive huts, on the eastern side of the site) excavation of the monastic drainage system, uncovered in 2001, continued to completion. The covered drain was excavated, and a feature, previously interpreted as a secondary feeder channel, was found to be a rock-cut water-holding pit.

All exposed section faces from this and previous years’ excavations were recorded.
Dúchas continued reconstruction work, and by the end of the season the east wall and gable of the church had been rebuilt.

81 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 4