County: Wexford Site name: FERNS: Castleland
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WX015-003 Licence number: 05E1118
Author: Brian Halpin, National Archaeological Services
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 701311m, N 649054m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.583330, -6.505013
An excavation was carried out in advance of the construction of an apartment block, nine detached and semi-detached houses, a shop and carpark at Castleland, Ferns, Co. Wexford. The development is located in the centre of the historic town of Ferns, between the castle to the west and the cathedral and Augustinian monastery to the east and to the rear of O’Loughlin’s public house, which is on the main street. The irregular-shaped area of the site is roughly 60m by 40m.
A building survey was carried out on the site by Allison McQueen. It identified seven separate sites of structural remains on the site, none of which bear any medieval fabric, cut or dressed stone or any features of architectural interest or importance. The structures were demolished under supervision.
As part of the assessment, a test excavation was carried out by John Kavanagh during May (see No. 1638, Excavations 2005, 05E0662). Testing uncovered several features of a post-medieval nature, indicating the remains of 19th- and 20th-century structures depicted on the 1840 and 1904 OS maps. Full excavation took place between 3 October and 4 November 2005.
The features investigated in a disturbed green area were numerous pits of modern refuse and a separate area of a rough metalled surface within an urban courtyard setting enclosed by 18th- and 19th-century vernacular outbuildings. During the course of this investigation these buildings were demolished under supervision but did not reveal any earlier structural remains.
Ard Solas, Lacken, Co. Wicklow
