County: Kildare Site name: CLONGOWES
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD010-021----,KD010-032----, KD014-010----, KD014-011---- and KD014-008002- Licence number: 03E0457
Author: John O’Connor, for Archaeological Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 686929m, N 729717m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.310597, -6.695544
Monitoring of demolition works and associated groundworks at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare, was carried out from 10 to 29 April and again between 19 and 30 May 2003. The site is located in a courtyard to the south of Clongowes Castle, which is about 2km north of Clane village. The site consisted of a concrete-floored courtyard, with the castle to the north, the kitchen range to the east, the ‘old’ refectory to the south and the Serpentine Gallery to the west. The core of the castle dates to c. 1450, but it was made uninhabitable in 1641 and was rebuilt as a fortified house later in the 17th century. The house was modified throughout the 18th century. The other three buildings date to the 19th century.
The demolition of the Serpentine Gallery resulted in nothing of archaeological significance being found within its fabric. However, during the ground-reduction works 23 archaeological features were uncovered. These included a ditch, which was the earliest feature uncovered on the site, two wells, a pathway, three walls that pre-dated the construction of the Serpentine Gallery and a drain. A number of mortar spreads and an area of fire debris were also found. These features were recorded and left in situ. The excavation of these features was later carried out by Eoin Halpin (No. 905, Excavations 2003, 03E1093).
2 Walnut Rise, Courtlands, Dublin 9
