2012:554 - Fethard, Tipperary

The location of the town wall, where it crosses the public carriageway, i.e. at the former entry points into the historic medieval town of Fethard, was marked on the tarred carriageway surface at a number of locations. It was intended to undertake the works at five locations, however four locations were actually chosen. The works were undertaken and funded by South Tipperary County Council and carried out pursuant to a Ministerial Consent. The terms of the Consent required that any ground disturbance associated with the project should be monitored by a licence-holding archaeologist.
The works were sited at four locations where the medieval town wall crosses the public carriageways within the town of Fethard. The locations were as follows: Madam’s Gate on the west circuit of the town wall; Water Gate on the southern circuit; East Gate on (Burke Street) on the east circuit and Pierce Gate (Barrack Street) on the north-east circuit.
The marking of the town wall on Barrack Street – at the location of Pierce Gate – had to be moved by 0.8m along the north-western half of the trench to avoid the actual town wall as the highest stone in the medieval wall was only 50mm below the road surface. In the other locations there was no such locational or archaeological difficulties, although due to the presences of walls – a possible gate wall or mill wall at the West Gate and the town wall at two locations at the East Gate – a coloured concrete will be placed in the newly finished road surface at these locations.

Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, 17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.