2007:1738 - Toureen, Tipperary

Toureen Peakaun is the monastery of Cluain Aird Mo-Becóc, which was founded in the 7th century and is occasionally mentioned in the early annals and martyrologies. The third season of a University College Cork research and training excavation was carried out there over seven weeks in April/May 2007. The ritual core of the site features several monuments in state care, but its full extent is indicated by a c. 200m enclosure, some of which is traceable in the surrounding field banks.
In this season two trenches were opened. The first was an extension of Trench D, which in 2006 had shown that at the north-east of the site the enclosure comprised a natural stream channel within which were a number of enclosing elements (Excavations 2006, No. 1929). Immediately within these enclosures the very east end of an artificial platform between two other stream channels had been excavated. In 2007 a large trench (90m2) was opened here which took in the whole of the artificial platform. Three phases of enclosing elements were uncovered: a palisade replaced by twin arcing plank fences replaced by a north–south-oriented fence. Several deposits that had built up on and especially around the platform were excavated, including alluvial deposits from the streams to either side of it and industrial waste (especially from ironworking) dumped downslope from the platform. At the west of the platform at least two drains were dug which channelled water into the streams. Among the features excavated on the surface of the platform were slots for wattling and large rectangular post-holes: traces of two or possibly three rectangular buildings. Initial indications are that these relate to an occupation phase pre-dating most of the industrial activity in this part of the site.
The second trench, Trench F, was within the Romanesque church. Its principal purpose was to determine whether any evidence for pre-12th-century churches or burials survived. The earliest phase of activity is represented by eight burials oriented east-north-east/west-south-west, a markedly different orientation from that of the extant church and therefore almost certainly pre-dating it. One of these contained a broken early medieval inscribed slab placed upright beside the skull and other fragments of inscribed slabs were found ex situ. Some structural features (post-holes, stake-holes, etc.) were uncovered which probably represent very fragmentary remains of two or three pre-Romanesque buildings – probably churches – but insufficient survives to determine their size or plan. Other small post-holes may have been for partitions subdividing the Romanesque church. The graves of 26 adults and sub-adults on the same orientation as the church were identified, but only those that were fully within the trench were excavated. Where the position of the arms was discernible they were crossed at the pelvis and several of them contained a number of water-rolled quartz pebbles. The latest phase of activity was represented by eighteen burials of unbaptised children in the modern period. Excavation will resume in Trench D and elsewhere at the site in 2008. This work was funded by a grant from the Royal Irish Academy.