2008:1063 - Cottlestown, Tipperary

The proposed development site comprises an area within a courtyard space located south of existing stables with an adjacent field to the west. The site is located in the immediate environs of Cottlestown Castle (SL022–009) and will include the conversion of the existing stables into apartments, the creation of a parking area immediately to the south of the stables and the construction of a sewage treatment system and percolation area. The stables are part of a late 18th-century complex of buildings surrounding the much earlier O’Dowd’s Castle (Cottlestown Castle). The site was previously tested in 1996 by Gerry Walsh (Excavations 1996, No. 339, 96E0358). While a copy of his testing report was available, no accompanying trench location map was available. Hence, in consultation with Celine Walsh of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, it was decided that the site should be retested. Five trenches were proposed, of which four were excavated. Trench 3 was not excavated on the day as the machine was too large to reach its location without damaging either architectural remains or mature trees. It is unlikely that a trench needs to be excavated in this location, as the presence of a partially infilled mill-race on the same line as the proposed service trench should allow the services to be set within this feature, thus insuring both its preservation and negating the need to potentially disturb archaeological deposits in this area close to the castle. There was no evidence of any archaeological activity within any of the areas investigated through the excavation of test-trenches.