County: Waterford Site name: CASTLEQUARTER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WA005–008 Licence number: 05E1338
Author: Niall Gregory, Gregory Consultant Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 617101m, N 614015m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.277559, -7.749391
Test excavation and topographical survey was conducted at Castlequarter, Four Mile Water, Co. Waterford. The work was undertaken in advance of a single-house development. The scheme encompassed an area of 20,000m2, of which the impacts of the entire development take in c. 240m2. Archaeological test excavation was conducted on 10 January 2006. This was preceded by a topographical survey over a three-day period at the end of December 2005.
Test excavation achieved depths consistent with the surface of the natural subsoil. Nothing of an archaeological nature was encountered. While the attributed location of the adjacent site of a castle and garrison was not impacted upon, specifically, as there is no intention of development at its site, no evidence for foundation trenches or the remains of other structural elements was revealed. Limited evidence was found of quarrying activities in Trench 3, where the limestone was more chipped or irregular in shape when compared to the rounded or smoother nature of the stone in Trenches 1 and 2.
The results of topographical surveying did not produce any non-visual aspects of subsurface structural remains associated with any buildings. It does suggest that a more plausible location for the tower-house would have been further to the east and adjacent to the northern field boundary at 50–52m OD. This location forms a natural south-western shoulder to the general inclination of the land and would be considered the most appropriate location for this structure. A slight northward bulge in the northern field boundary would tend to corroborate this hypothesis.
Dunburbeg, Clonmel Road, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
