County: Kilkenny Site name: OLDCOURT
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 39:70 Licence number: 05E0091
Author: Emma Devine, for Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, 17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 647669m, N 626463m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.387640, -7.299711
An assessment was requested by Kilkenny County Council at Oldcourt, Templeorum, Pilltown. The site lies adjacent to an enclosure in the townland of Oldcourt. The Irish name was ‘Shannachohir or Old Cahir or Stone Fort located on the brow of the hill overlooking Glenbower . . . Both Cahir and Court have disappeared. The ruined walls of the latter remained, to a height of a few feet, till they were uprooted, about 1825. The site is marked by a circular depression 45yds. in diameter’ (Carrigan 1905).
The stratigraphy encountered in all three test-trenches was almost identical. The topsoil was slightly deeper downslope than on the brow of the hill, which was to be expected as the field had been ploughed and soil creep also being a factor. The only evidence of earlier human activity was that of ploughing by machine and this was of no great antiquity. Nothing of archaeological significance was encountered.
Reference
Carrigan, Rev. 1905 History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory. Kilkenny.
