2006:327 - Demesne, Doneraile, Cork

Monitoring took place of engineering trial pits within the zone of archaeological potential around Doneraile Castle (site of). A total of nine trial pits were excavated, seven within the zone of archaeological constraint and two c. 100m to the north.
There are no remains of Doneraile Castle visible today and the site is located within a later demesne landscape, which is still preserved as a state-owned park, managed by the Office of Public Works. The seven pits excavated within the zone of potential were within a walled garden that is part of the estate landscape. This area is depicted as formal gardens adjacent to the castle on a 1728 estate map of Doneraile. The original tripartite divisions depicted on the 1728 map appear to be preserved. The enclosed area is sloping down from north to south towards the river and there are two internal divisions visible where soil banks have been created and given a stone facing. These divisions would appear to correspond to those depicted on the 1728 map.
The results of monitoring of trial pits located within the old castle gardens suggests there has been significant ground disturbance in this area and very little if any original ground survives. All of the test-trenches indicated layers of rubble at depths of 1.7–2m below the present ground level. Test-trenches measured c. 1m in width and 1.5m in length, and depths varied from 1 to 2m. The small nature of the test-trenches did not facilitate a good perspective on the layers of rubble.
Examination of the rubble layers did not indicate any evidence for an extant masonry foundation; the extent of rubble and associated fragments of mortar point rather to extensive random dumping of rubble.
No datable material was recovered from within the rubble layer or below it. There was also evidence of substantial soil cover on top of the rubble layer, suggesting a later deliberate deposition of rich organic soil dumped in this area.
The rubble layer could represent the demolished remains of the castle and associated outbuildings, or the demolished remains of internal garden walls, or rubble deliberately brought into the gardens to form part of the internal design within the parterres, or it might be modern dumping in the late 19th and early 20th century.
As no securely datable material was recovered during the test-trench excavation, it is difficult to establish the timeframe for each episode of ground built up in the garden area. No evidence for surviving structures was identified, but the possibility that some of the rubble exposed forms part of in situ foundation walls cannot be ruled out. It is quite likely that the stratigraphy present in the trenches represents successive phases of use for this area, from its original use as a castle garden to later reuse as an orchard.
It was recommended that the connection to the public sewer from the public toilet building within the park (c. 115m in length) be excavated several days in advance of pipelaying in order to allow sufficient time for recording the stratigraphy. It was also recommended that the design of the connection should not impede any possible future plans for restoration works within the walled garden.