2008:768 - CROOM: Croom Castle, Limerick

This project was undertaken as part of a post-damage impact assessment for works already completed within the bawn wall of Croom Castle (LI030–025005), a protected structure. Archaeo-logical works involved assessing damage to a partially machine-excavated motte (LI030–025004), recording a machine-dug trench on the inside of the castle bawn wall, assessing damage caused to standing 18th/19th-century buildings and bawn wall from the partial construction of a modern structure, and analysis of spoil heaps for medieval material. A detection licence was also taken out to metal-detect the spoil heaps across the site. Testing found that the motte, although listed in the RMP, was of modern construction with inclusions of tile and concrete; the machine-cut trench revealed a length of the bawn wall in section; the modern construction impacts directly upon the bawn wall and earlier structures and the spoil heaps contained stone from both the 18th/19th-century buildings and possible medieval fabric. The metal-detection survey found no artefacts of interest.