2007:1829 - LISMORE: Lismore Castle Gardens, Waterford

The archaeological impact of a proposed new pathway and entrance kiosk at Lismore Castle Gardens was assessed early in 2007. Five trenches were initially cut in the field approaching the 17th-century walled gardens, and a sixth was cut in a proposed disabled parking space. A seventh trench was subsequently cut to assess an alternative route for the path.

Remains of a stone wall, surfacing, and ditches and pits, associated with pottery of the 13th/14th century and 17th century, suggest medieval settlement under the west side of the field. A row of shallow graves further east appears to be part of a medieval burial-ground, visible as a slight earthwork and remembered in the fieldname ‘relic’. Probable planting holes beyond the medieval settlement and graveyard may also be of archaeological interest, associated with clearance and landscaping in the 17th century.