2004:1762 - COUNTY BUILDINGS, MULLINGAR, Westmeath

Archaeological investigations took place between 26 January and 21 May 2004 in advance of the proposed development area of County Buildings, Mullingar. This followed on from the initial testing that was carried out in 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 1995). The construction of the civic offices and an amenity area immediately south of the existing County Buildings complex within the zone of archaeological potential for the town was proposed. This work was carried out on behalf of Westmeath County Council. The area to be investigated measured c. 78m east-west by 40m.

It was recommended that four large quadrants of equal size be opened in order to capture much of the external gaol walls and internal division cell walls. These cuttings were initially topsoil-stripped by a tracking machine with a 2m-wide toothless bucket. Subsequent levels were reduced by hand. Approximately two-thirds of the entire site was to be excavated, with the possibility of the remainder being investigated the following year.

Construction of the gaol on this site began in 1787, with cut limestone blocks being used throughout. The original phase of the gaol included two prison yards, thirteen cells and one day-room. In 1823 monies were provided for the enlargement of the gaol to include nine prison yards, 100 cells, eighteen day-rooms, a chapel and and infirmary, and land to the west of the existing gaol was acquired the following year.

John Hargrave is credited as the architect of Mullingar courthouse and gaol, which were constructed between 1824 and 1829. The gaol was completed in 1828 for the sum of £11,626. The plan of the gaol centred on the Governor's Quarters, with a semicircular arrangement of yards and cells radiating from it. Known locally as the 'Pound Yard', these yards and cells occupied land 3-5m lower than the rest of the gaol. The Pound Yard is enclosed by a semi-hexagonal boundary wall. By 1846 there were 98 cells for criminals and ten for debtors, and nineteen day- and work-rooms had been constructed. The mill, mill yard, bakery and forge, stairs and tunnel leading to the courthouse had also been built by this time. The prison cemetery was located immediately north of the hospital. Mullingar gaol was finally closed in 1900, but the building continued to be used as a technical school and a cap and shirt factory for a period of about ten years, after which time it was demolished. The female prison was demolished in 1909 to facilitate the construction of the County Hall. The Governor's Quarters were extended sometime between 1913 and 1953, when a wing was added to the western elevation.

The initial investigations were machine-assisted, as there were a series of modern deposits covering the site. These layers in total measured 0.25-1.7m in depth. They were removed with a 2m flat bucket until the upper courses of the structural walls were identified. Two semicircular concentric walls were identified, with a series of cells, rooms and toilets located within them. The gaol was centred on the Governor's Quarters, with a series of walls radiating from it, which segregated a series of exercise yards. It is a nine-sided building (nonagon), with nineteen rooms being identified, the majority (thirteen) consisting of cells. There were also a number of toilets and what appeared to be boiler rooms (six). In association with these rooms there were nine exercise yards and eight radial walls, which separated each of the yards. There was also a cobbled courtyard linking the exercise yards to the Governor's Quarters. The gaol was constructed of cut limestone blocks, with the occasional granite block. There were 1-2 courses of stone remaining above ground level across the site (0.4-0.55m deep).

The inner (C110) and outer (C109) semicircular concentric walls were 0.75-0.9m in width, with a maximum foundation depth of 2.75m. C109 had two stepped plinths, 0.12-0.15m wide, for stability and in order to carry the load of the structure. The upper plinth was 0.8m from the upper course, with the lower plinth 1.15m from the upper course. C110 was only stepped once, on its interior side, to a depth of 1.05m. The internal room divisional walls connecting C109 and C110 were stepped at a depth of 0.65m. These walls are equally as substantial as C109 and C110 and had a foundation depth of c. 2.4m. They were bonded into a small recess of C109 and abutted C110. These major structural walls were constructed of blocks of ashlar limestone. The upper courses were well dressed and faced. They contained rubble infill interiors and were bonded together with a cream-coloured mortar. Beneath the top two courses, the construction was more uneven and the stone more coarsely dressed. The limestone blocks measured 0.07m by 0.01m by 0.05-0.7m by 0.5m by 0.2m. There were an additional nine to eleven courses below floor level, giving a foundation depth of c. 2.75m. These walls were constructed on a natural layer of loose gravel. This in turn was below a substantial layer of dark-brown organic peaty clay c. 0.45-0.8m deep.

A corridor runs along the interior of C109 connecting the rooms and cells. It was c. 1.25m wide and had an entrance gate between every cell block. The interior of C109 within the corridor was covered in a black paint; this was also evident within the interior of the cells. At the eastern perimeter of the gaol was a semicircular arch of finely dressed blocks set into the outer face of the gaol wall, but this is not evident on the interior of C109. The foundations of a dividing room wall sit into a recess of C109 at this point above ground level and abut C109 at this point below ground level. The arch was composed of twelve radiating segments plus a keystone, of which seven complete and one partial fragment remain in situ (C600). The segment blocks measured 0.48m by 0.32m by 0.38m. The 'opening' beneath measured 1.84m wide and 0.95m high and was filled in with well-coursed, squared-off stone blocks but with rough-hewn faces. They appeared to be inferior to the wall C109 and the arch C600. The arch springs from the stepped plinth of C109. The appearance at this location is one of two different walls or two different hands of construction being joined together. This join is evident vertically through the courses below the centre of the arch. The northern half of the arch fill appears to be slightly subsided and, given that the gaol is a functional building and contains no other architectural designs, this may represent a structural repair or support function for the exterior wall C109 of the arch.

The majority of rooms identified within the gaol were cells. They measured 3m by 1.75m in size, with either two or three cells per room. These cells entered onto the corridor, with the walls, like the corridor, covered in black paint. Cells were identifiable by their regular shape, size and location and by the position of large square doorjambs with cell-dividing walls. These doorjambs measured 0.6m by 0.7m by 0.2m. The best-preserved cells were located at the eastern end of the site. Iron sockets are still evident at the cell entrance, indicating the position of the cell gates. A vast proportion of the flooring has been removed from the rooms and cells, as the Bill of Quantities of 1910 stated that the builders were to store and reuse the stone of the gaol for the new council building that was built at the time. Three rooms still retain traces of sandstone flagstones. These were laid over a fine silty sand and in turn a rubble layer of brick fragments and limestone. It is possible that these three rooms have had their floors raised over a length of time, as indicated by a rubble layer. They may represent a late phase in the gaol construction or possibly have been modified during the building's use as a technical school and factory. In the remaining rooms and cells where the flagstones are absent, the fine silty sand rests on a foundation bed of cracked limestone up to 1.45m deep.

Six toilets were identified within the cell blocks. There was one toilet per yard (three yards could not be completed as they were outside the limit of excavation). These toilets would be entered from the ground floor at the south-west corner of each yard. They were c. 2.8-3.2m in length and 0.8m wide. The floor was covered by large flat rectangular limestone flagstones measuring 0.95m by 0.37m by 0.12m. A drain running underneath the cells and rooms connected the toilets to the exterior. Other rooms retain the void for baths, largely concentrated along the eastern perimeter. There may also have been a dividing wall erected between these bathing areas.

Located behind three of the toilets were large, loosely T-shaped, recesses with sandstone flag flooring. They were brick-lined and contained a metal grill at one end. The bricks exhibited signs of heating and burning and were blackened as a result. It is noticeable that these features were located adjacent to the toilets and the probable bathrooms. They may represent a type of boiler-room for the heating of water in association with the toilets and the baths. This might explain the black discoloration of the brickwork. As well as this ground-floor entrance to the toilets in every yard there was also a central ground-floor entrance into the cell block. This led into a hallway with either two cells on either side or a combination of cells, a bathroom or a workroom.

All nine exercise yards were identified. These radiate in a semicircular shape from the Governor's Quarters, expanding as they move southwards to the cell blocks. A foundation bedding of cracked limestone was evident within the yards. Over this within all of the yards was a compact yellow silty sandy clay. These yards were, in turn, separated by eight radial walls. They were less substantial than walls C109 and C110. They measured 0.45m wide (0.85m wide at foundation level) and 0.75-0.8m deep (0.35m above ground level and 0.4m below). They were very consistent in their length, with a standard 100ft (31.5m) being recorded. They were dressed and faced on the outsides with ashlar limestone with small rubble and mortar infill. Only one to two courses at most were visible above ground level. They were stepped once in their foundations, with a further two to three courses of more irregular limestone blocks below ground level. It is likely that these radial walls were c. 3.45m (c. 11ft) high and topped with coping stones. The remains of one similar wall still stand to the east of the Governor's Quarters. The maximum width of the yards at the southern extremity was c. 13.75m.

Seven of the nine exercise yards produced evidence for oval paths. These were for the daily exercise of the prisoners (up to two hours daily). Some of the yards produced only intermittent and sporadic fragments, while others had long stretches still evident. These oval paths were of compacted gravel and were c. 0.8m wide. They had downward-sloping edges, which overlapped the stepped plinth of the radial walls and abutted the ground level courses. They had a depth of 0.1-0.17m with an internal diameter of c. 22.2m. A second path was identified running down the centre of four yards. It is likely, however, that they also existed in the remaining yards. Because of the insubstantial nature of the path it has been rubbed out and badly damaged in many of the yards. They consisted of a loose black silty clay with inclusions of coke, charcoal and gravel. They measured 22-26m in length and 1.8-2.13m wide. They were very shallow with a depth of 0.05m. These paths were aligned to the ground-floor entrance/hallway into the cell blocks to the south and to the cobbled courtyard in front of the Governor's Quarters to the north. A third path in each yard runs parallel to C110. It also runs perpendicular to the central black paths. They are made of a very tightly compacted grey solid gravel and measured 1.6-2.15m wide and 12.5-13.5m in length. Located in three yards and indicated on Robert Downes' deed map of 1904 were three sections of path. They were located in front of the ground-floor toilets in each of these three yards. The path in Yard 9 was once covered with coloured tiles and this may have been the case originally in Yards 1 and 2. It is possible that these paths abutted the ground level of their respective radial walls, which lie to their west. They measured up to 4.5m in length and 1.25m wide. The paths in Yards 1 and 9 were lined on their eastern side by brick kerbing and possible railing sockets. The sockets in Yard 2 still retain remnants of iron in situ, which have been sawn off at the base and mortared over. It is unlikely that these paths are associated with access to the toilets, as they are absent in the remaining yards. It is more plausible that these features may indicate stairwells to a first-storey level of the cell blocks allowing access to and from the exercise yards. An external path may have existed, also exterior to C109, while the prison was open. A dotted line running concentric to the back wall of the prison, C109, is shown on the Robert Downes deed map of 1904. This line matches the width and location of C167, a firmly compacted light-yellow/brown sandy clay that had an average width of c. 2m. This possible path continues into a courtyard to the north-west of the site leading to a substantial building, possibly the cook-house and laundry-house. This area was, however, beyond the limit of excavation.

A stone-lined culvert was identified exterior to C109. It was orientated east-west and ran parallel to the boundary wall. It was stone-filled and measured 1.7m wide and 0.7m deep. Into this culvert were identified three drains, also exterior to C109. They were orientated north-south. These drains ran south into the culvert and north underneath the cell blocks, presumably to link up with the sewer system for the toilets and the bathrooms. The drains were located directly opposite the radial walls and the toilets. They were stone-built, covered by large limestone lintels and filled with cracked limestone. They had walls, three courses deep, roughly hewn and set into a bed of mortar. They were 1.2m below the top course of the exterior wall, C109, and 1.97m to their base. They were wedge-shaped, with a keystone built into the gaol wall. These drains flowed into the east-west culvert that followed the curvature of the boundary wall to the south-west corner of the site, where it drained out into the River Brosna. During the construction of the County Council offices an earthenware pipe on a concrete base was laid in the upper levels of this east-west culvert and followed its orientation. Located in front of the Governor's Quarters was a semicircular cobbled courtyard. It was delineated by a wall (C579) to the south and a wall (C581) to the north. Within C579 were set an entrance block, allowing access to each exercise yard. One or two steps were also visible within C581. The cobbles outlined a path from C579 to C581 opposite each exercise yard, with a design of an 'X' laid out in the intervening spaces. Positioned just off-centre of the courtyard are a number of light-pink coloured cobbles set down in the shape of the royal crown with the partial fragments of possible lettering of 'VR' beneath it. This was the emblem for the crown prison service and a symbol of authority within the gaol. These cobbles were truncated by a series of later pipes and services laid in c. 1910 and after. This courtyard leads directly into a narrow corridor/passage directly beneath the Governor's Quarters. It was 1.4m wide and followed the semicircular pattern of the gaol. This may have led to the tunnel and steps, which in turn led up to the Governor's House, hospital, board-room, female prison, cook-house and laundry, etc. Alternatively, it may represent a later garden plot, with access to the tunnel gained from the cobbled courtyard.

Finds from the gaol correspond to the historical dating of the site and included clay-pipe fragments, glass, iron nails, window bars, pottery, bone comb, bone toothbrush, buttons, razors, wooden handles (knives, forks, etc), bottles, coins, leather shoe fragments and butchered bone.

The remains of William le Petit's motte and bailey, which were recorded as being located on the site of the gaol, were not discovered. Approximately thirteen box cuts were placed across the site (including test-trenches of December 2003) to a maximum depth of 2.75m. It is possible that the motte and bailey were located at a higher elevation further north, centring on the site of the present County Buildings.