County: Galway Site name: NEWCASTLE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA087–196 Licence number: A024/29, E2076
Author: Sheelagh Conran, for CRDS Ltd.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 575294m, N 726880m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.291654, -8.370559
The excavation in Newcastle was part of the archaeological excavations associated with the proposed N6 Galway to Ballinasloe road scheme. The site was excavated between May and August 2006. Work was commissioned by Galway County Council and the National Roads Design Office and sponsored by the National Roads Authority. The site lies within a clearing surrounded by coniferous forestry, less than 4km south-west of the village of Aughrim.
Part of the monument GA087–196 lies within the footprint of the development. The monument consists of a raised irregularly shaped platform, on which two further platforms were built at the western side. The name Newcastle is presumably derived from the castle site (GA086–202; inventory number 3980), of unknown location within the townland, known as ‘Short Castle’ (Alcock et al. 1999, 415). It is plausible to suggest that so-called Short Castle may have been built adjacent to this site, on top of a previously existing monument, and is contained within the unclassified earthwork GA087–196. The site at Newcastle included a small portion of the bank and ditch of GA087–196 and associated features.
The ditch F104, which forms part of site GA087–196, represents a ringfort ditch, and after it had silted up metalled surfaces and stone structures were built over and within it. It is believed that these features may represent the castle at Newcastle. This ditch is circular in plan (c. 43m diameter). The portion excavated runs in an east–west direction and was 1.8m wide and 1.2m deep.
The southern edge of a stone-built feature (F115) made up of six vertical courses of stone was uncovered to the eastern limit of the excavation. It may be contemporary with a metalled surface (F159) 10m south-west and pre-dates the fills of the ditch. It may be an original entrance feature, such as a bridge, associated with the ringfort.
The ringfort ditch F104 had been almost completely backfilled by the time the platform monument was constructed. A new metalled surface (F136) was laid across the backfilled ditch F104 and formed an entrance to the monument. This surface was 6.5m long and 2m wide. This feature probably dates to the 16th or 18th century. A rough stone surface, F134, was uncovered lying over the earlier metalled surface F136, suggesting renewal of the surface.
A stone wall, F131, was uncovered along the northern edge of the site. It was 0.82m long and 0.3m high. It finished in a squared corner terminal that contained a quoin. This appears to have been the northern side of a doorway entrance. The other side does not survive and it has been truncated by the construction of a later bank, F99.
A stone-lined and stone-capped 18th-century drain, F212, cuts and seems to be contemporary with the metalled surface, F136.
Other features such as furrows, field systems, hearths and pits were excavated on site.
A further metalled surface and a low wall were uncovered extending beyond the CPO boundary to the north and into the excluded woodland area to the west. A testing strategy was agreed with Galway County Council to determine the extent of the archaeology within the CPO area.
Test-trenching revealed a variety of archaeological features thought to be associated with GA087–196. Two parallel ditches (F217 and F305), a metalled surface (F159), stone foundation (F332) and other drains (F329, F330 and F331) and pit (F350) are thought to be part of a yard and entranceway leading into the monument.
The orientation of the wall (F160), the kerbs (F307 and F324) and the surface (F159) strongly suggest that they combine with the causeway (F115) to provide a significant entrance to the monument. However, as the causeway or bridge feature F115 appears to be contemporary with the use of the ringfort ditch, it could be that the original entrance to the ringfort was maintained and expanded during the life of the later platform monument.
Reference
Alcock, O., de Hóra, K. and Gosling, P. 1999 Archaeological inventory of County Galway: Volume II, North Galway. Dublin.
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