2012:513 - KILCOLMAN, Roscommon

Testing, monitoring and metal detecting were undertaken at the site of a commercial development in the townland of Kilcolman on the outskirts of Ballaghaderreen in County Roscommon. The site consists of an unfinished development over which KMPG have been appointed receiver by ACC bank. One of the planning issues relating to the development required an archaeological report on a monument (R0008-020) recorded from the site (Planning Ref. 07/2123). The monument is ‘a site of’ a castle located in the east of the site. The site is not marked in the first edition (1837) OS map, however it is marked by a hachured line enclosing a space of some c. 35m in length on the third edition (1915). It was excavated in 1950 and levelled thereafter. There is now no surface trace of the monument surviving. The excavation report revealed that the site sloped slightly to the south-east and enclosed a quadrangular platform of some 29m north-south by 27m. It rose to an average height of 1.5m. There was a small trace of a bank around the outer edges of the platform, while along the south, east and west there were indications of a shallow ditch. Inside the monument a series of eleven trenches were excavated. These revealed a number of features including a curtain wall, an outer ditch, a causeway, a drain and other traces of walling. The report concluded that the monument was originally a walled enclosure surrounded by a moat. O’Donovan refers to the castle having been razed by Hugh O’Connor in 1270, knocked down by Cathal Mac Conchabar Ruaidh king of Connacht in 1284 and razed by his son Ruaidrí in 1315.
In November 2012 six trenches were excavated in the area of the ‘castle site’ to establish if any sub-surface trace of the monument survives. All of the trenches were excavated immediately west of a north-south-running stream that runs along the e boundary. Immediately east of the stream, in the adjacent property, a low grass-covered earthen bank extends for a length of c. 45m and is 8m wide. The significance of this feature is not certain but its location suggests it may be associated with the ‘castle site’ recorded in this area. Sub-surface features associated with the castle were uncovered in one of the trenches excavated. The removal of the covering layer of disturbed material/spoil (0.2m deep) in Trench B revealed the base of a circular stone-constructed turret in the north-east of the trench and extensive rubble material in the remainder. The turret feature was uncovered for a length of 2.8m, was 1.05m high and 0.75m wide at the top. It was constructed of small/medium sized (largest 0.4 x 0.38m) uncut stones that were well coursed throughout with recessed pointing of lime mortar. The sides of the turret sloped outwards forming a basal batter. Lime mortar was evident in the centre of the structure at the top. Based on the dimensions revealed the extent of the turret feature may extend for a diameter of c. 3.5m.
Immediately south of the stone feature extensive loose rubble extended for the length of the trench. Both the stone turret and the rubble lay directly above a soft brown porous peat that when exposed, quickly filled the trench with water. A small number of animal bone fragments were recovered from the peat immediately adjacent to the remains of the stone turret. No trace of the castle structure was uncovered in any of the other 5 trenches excavated. Following testing at the site a mechanical excavator was used to spread the existing stockpiles of soil, sand and rubble throughout the site. No features of archaeological significance were encountered in the course of monitoring levelling works and finds from metal detecting consisted entirely of 20th-century metal fragments of wire, iron and occasional nails.
The targeted testing at Kilcolman identified the archaeological monument and confirmed that sub-surface archaeological features do survive at the site. The discovery of structural remains of the castle is an important archaeological discovery and it will now be possible to establish a buffer zone around the feature.

Arch Consultancy Ltd, New Line, Athenry, Co. Galway.