County: Kerry Site name: Castleview, Castleisland
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KE040–026 Licence number: 10E0228
Author: Laurence Dunne, Laurence Dunne Archaeology, 3 Lios Na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Site type: Medieval castle
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 499711m, N 609534m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.228414, -9.468052
Test excavations were undertaken in proximity to the ruin of a corner turret of the medieval castle complex of Castleisland, Co. Kerry. Very little of this once formidable, medieval manorial seat of the Earls of Desmond survives aboveground today. However, the coherent, though largely destroyed, remains of the main keep and the dilapidated remains of at least one corner turret survive in the rear gardens of Castleview Terrace. The test excavations relate to a proposed garage redevelopment project abutting and partially included within the proposed development site. Four linear test excavations were opened before work was halted due to health and safety considerations relating to the dilapidated nature of the corner turret. The test-trenches T1–T3 and part of T4 were opened at 10m intervals with a back-acting track machine utilising a 1m-wide flat-bladed bucket. Otherwise the northern limit of T4 was excavated by hand where it abutted the medieval corner turret.
The results from the four cuttings were archaeologically negative. However, the turret end of T4 was not completed due to health and safety considerations.
