County: Donegal Site name: DONEGAL: Donegal Castle
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DG093-013001- Licence number: 02E0496 ext.
Author: Fionnbarr Moore, The Heritage Service
Site type: Castle - tower house
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 592868m, N 878552m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.655095, -8.110522
Further to excavations carried out in 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 416), two service pipe trenches were excavated on 18 February 2003, between manholes 1 and 2 and between manholes 2 and 3, outside the castle on the north-west side. The trench between manholes 1 and 2 measured 0.42m wide by 0.9m deep and was 5m in length. The upper 0.5–0.6m of the trench was much disturbed by root action from trees growing in the vicinity of the castle. Fragments of animal bone, shell and disarticulated human remains were scattered throughout the trench fill. This material overlay a layer of yellow/brown boulder clay, 0.2–0.4m in depth over bedrock.
The trench between manholes 2 and 3 measured 2m in length by 0.5–0.6m in depth. Again it was much disturbed by root action and produced a mixture of animal bone and shell, together with fragments of human bone. A large lump of iron slag and a sherd of red glazed medieval pottery were found in the bottom of the trench.
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Harcourt Lane, Dublin 2
