County: Galway Site name: GALWAY: Townparks
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA094-100 and GA094-099002–3 Licence number: 05E0132
Author: Dominic Delany, Dominic Delany & Associates
Site type: Religious house - Augustinian friars and Bastioned fort
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 529815m, N 725136m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.271908, -9.052224
A second phase of pre-development testing was carried out at Middle Street and St Augustine Street, Galway, on 30 May 2005. No archaeological material was discovered during the initial phase of testing carried out by Anne Carey in March 2005 (see No. 604, Excavations 2005). The development comprised a programme of alterations and renovations to the Augustinian church and priory, which are located within the zone of archaeological potential around the historic town of Galway. The original Augustinian friary in Galway was founded by Margaret Athy and Stephen Lynch FitzDominick in 1508. It was built on a hill south-east of the medieval walled town. Following the suppression of the monasteries in the mid-16th century, the friars set up house next to Athy Castle in Market Street. In 1602–3 a fort was built on the site of the old friary on the hill, since known as Forthill, in order to protect the town and its harbour. The fort changed hands a couple of times during the wars of the confederation (1641–5) before it was finally demolished on account of its strategic importance in the event of an attack on the town. The Augustinians subsequently moved to a large house on the present site in Middle Street, where they erected a chapel in 1760. The chapel was enlarged c. 1820 and subsequently replaced by the present church in 1855.
The second phase of testing was carried out following the demolition of a small conservatory building attached to the north-west wall of the priory. A single trench revealed that the ground in this area was built up to a depth of c. 1m above an old garden soil deposit. Traces of old concrete slab and cobbled surfaces were recorded in the built-up ground above the garden soil deposit. The only find of interest was a large architectural stone, which was identified as a coping stone similar to those used on the gables of the mid-19th century church. Results from the two phases of testing clearly show that the church and priory are built on an artificial platform of made ground and that the ground levels around the buildings have also been built up over the years.
Unit 3, Howley Court, Oranmore, Co. Galway
