2008:241 - Gortmore, Cork

An application to Cork County Council to construct a single dwelling house at Gortmore, Banteer, led to a request for an archaeological impact assessment to be prepared. As the proposed development was located within the constraint zone of the site of a castle (CO032–058), it was required that a test excavation be carried out as part of the assessment. The house site is located west of Mallow town in a greenfield area to the south of the main route (N72) leading to Killarney. It is within the catchment area of the River Blackwater and the foothills of the Boggeragh Mountains are visible in the distance to the south. The site of ‘Gurteenkreen Castle’ is over 120m to the north-east of the proposed development in an elevated area of pastureland. No visible surface trace of the monument now survives but a photograph taken in the early 20th century shows a view from the north-west of an ivy-covered ruin. At that time the north wall had a base-batter and it stood to one storey in height. The west wall had survived to two storeys.
In all, three test-trenches were opened to determine the extent and nature of potential subsurface archaeological remains on the site. Two trenches were laid out across the footprint of the proposed house and a third trench was placed along the driveway. The topsoil consisted of heavy wet podzolic sediment and the underlying surface was made up of firm impervious sandy yellow clay. Nothing of archaeological importance was uncovered during machine excavation.