2011:309 - CASTLEVIEW, CASTLEISLAND, Kerry

This season’s excavations were undertaken in June and October 2011 as extensions to the work commenced in 2010 (Excavations 2010, no. 375), abutting and in the immediate vicinity of a ruinous 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 above ground today, but the coherent (though largely destroyed) remains of the main keep and the dilapidated remains of two corner turrets survive in the rear gardens of Castleview Terrace.
The test excavations relate to a garage redevelopment project abutting and partially included within the proposed development site. In 2010 four linear test excavations were opened before work was halted owing to health and safety considerations relating to the stability of the turret. Following discussions with the Kerry County Archaeologist and the NMS, a conservation report on the turret, including a full 3D laser scan, was submitted in December 2010 in advance of the current season’s excavation works, which were undertaken in two phases in June and October. The corner turret is entirely overgrown and is in a poor, neglected state, with much rubbish dumped in the partially broken barrel vault as well as pervasive vegetation growth. Essentially, three structural areas were identified that required consolidation and restoration works, and all the works needed to be carried out in a sequential fashion for health and safety considerations.
Before any physical work was undertaken, the growth on the turret was judiciously cut back in order to inspect fully the relict physical fabric of the medieval structure. The conservation study identified a number of essential key structural areas requiring direct consolidation/intervention works prior to the undertaking of excavation work along the turret’s base. Essentially, all of the quoins and much of the north, east and part of the south elevations had been robbed out or partially robbed out to varying degrees. Furthermore, the upper limits of the turret’s fabric were top-heavy, outwardly disposed and possibly held in place by the strong ivy growth. Virtually the entire thickness of the north elevation was robbed out, leaving only a single course of masonry over much of it, to such an extent that the thickness of the elevation was a mere 0.15m in places. The full results of the conservation works to the fabric of the turret are not discussed here in the interests of brevity. The initial phase of the programme of conservation and excavation, however, addressed the immediate structural issues of the turret and the pertinent health and safety issues for both the public and workers.
As sections of the structure were consolidated, associated ground excavations were undertaken in sections. Groundworks comprised the excavation of a narrow trench abutting all sides of the turret, as well as two associated sondages. A test excavation trench, 0.1m in width, to the west of the turret was also completed. Further work involved the cutting back of the pervasive ivy tight to the exterior walls of the turret, as well as the cutting back of other vegetation and shrubs from the upper exposed interior limits over the turret’s barrel vault and denuded walls.
All work was incrementally undertaken by hand owing to the ruinous state of the structure and also to the fact that some of the work was undertaken along the only accessway to the rear of the entire Castleview Terrace.
The test excavation comprised a curving cutting on the footprint of a section of the proposed new garage. The cutting was excavated to a depth of 0.8m through introduced sterile material with negative results.
The excavation that extended around the entirety of the turret revealed a number of features, including basal batter, sections of curtain walls and other structural walls. The depth of the excavation varied from a minimum of 0.2m to a maximum of 1.4m at the north-west corner. On average the excavation trench, which was undertaken in phases, was narrow at 0.6m in width and a maximum of 1.1m at the north-west corner, at which point the basal footing of the batter and quoins was revealed.
Finds from the excavations were generally modern, although a couple of small medieval architectural fragments of masonry were recovered.

Laurence Dunne Archaeology, 3 Lios Na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee, Co. Kerry