County: Limerick Site name: KILLMALLOCK: Wolfe Tone Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0777
Author: Miriam Carroll
Site type: Structure and Pit
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 561037m, N 627768m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.400059, -8.572551
A test excavation was carried out on a proposed development site at Wolfe Tone Street, Kilmallock. The site is within the medieval walled town (SMR 47:22) and the ruinous remains of the town wall form the south-eastern boundary of the development area. Four trenches were excavated on the site, three of which revealed potential archaeological remains.
Portions of two possible wall foundations were uncovered in Trench 2, which was located towards the west side of the site. The foundations were uncovered at a depth of 0.8m below present ground level and, although not fully exposed, appeared to be at right angles to each other. The material overlying the possible foundations consisted of a grey/brown garden soil containing sherds of 18th-20th-century pottery.
Trench 3 was located in the eastern portion of the site and measured c. 18m in length. Two possible wall foundations, a pit and a possible stone drain were uncovered in this trench. As in Trench 2, a grey/brown garden soil containing sherds of 18th-20th-century pottery overlay these features.
Trench 4 was also located at the west side of the site, parallel to Trench 3, and measured c. 18m in length. A wall foundation was uncovered at the west end of the trench. It was exposed for a length of 7.1m and extended in a north-west/south-east direction. It appeared to measure 1m in width and was constructed of medium to large limestone blocks. This wall may represent the remains of a possible burgage plot division indicated on the first-edition OS map of the town. Also uncovered in Trench 4 was a possible stone drain, which may relate to a similar feature uncovered in Trench 3, and a stone-filled feature at the east end of the trench. A grey/brown garden soil measuring 0.6m in thickness overlay the features uncovered in Trench 4.
No datable finds were recovered from the features exposed. It is possible, however, that they may be medieval or post-medieval in date.
15 Willowfields, Ladysbridge, Castlemartyr, Co. Cork
