County: Clare Site name: Cahermacnaghten
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CL009-00110 Licence number: E4496; C469
Author: Graham Hull
Site type: Post-medieval material adjacent to cashel
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 519644m, N 700145m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.045921, -9.198403
Cahermacnaghten Cashel (CL009-00110), home of the historically attested O’Davoren law school of the 17th century, is a National Monument (No. 354). Following deterioration of some elements of a stone wall at the entrance to the cashel, it was decided to carry out necessary repairs to conserve the monument and to make it safe for visitors. Consequently, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht commissioned limited excavation work.
The excavation was targeted at a build up of rubble behind a wall that probably formed part of an entrance feature (perhaps a tower) on the north side of the cashel entrance. The excavation area was approximately rectangular and measured 5.6m north to south by 2.5m.
Stone tumble and soil were seen to have accumulated at the base of the north face of a limestone block-built wall. The limestone was naturally formed blocks that were most likely quarried locally. The tumble was excavated down to provide access for the masons to repair the wall and to expose, and allow recording of, concealed parts of the wall. The tumble and soil sloped downwards at approximately 45° from the wall. The maximum excavated depth of material was in the region of 0.8m. Modern and 19th- or 20th-century glass, pottery and clay tobacco pipe was observed within this material.
TVAS (IRELAND) LTD. AHISH, BALLINRUAN, CRUSHEEN, CO. CLARE.
