2014:513 - ROSCREA: Roscrea Castle, Tipperary

Monitoring of groundworks associated with the excavation of service trenches was carried out intermittently at Roscrea Castle, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary,  from October to November 2014.

The first trench opened was located in the area of the ball court as marked on the 19th-century maps. The trench was a maximum depth of 0.7m deep and 0.5m wide. Terram, which covered the bottom of a previous Aegis test trench, was encountered, and the level of the trench was kept above this level. Slabs associated with the ball court were encountered, but were at a sufficient depth to be left in place. The trench then crossed near the entrance and continued across to the south of the gate house. It appears that the ground here has been made up with sand and gravel. No archaeological layers were encountered.

Trenching continued to the south-east, south and south-west (rear of the Damer House). The trench was excavated to a depth of 0.5m. No archaeological layers were encountered. The trench passed the edge of a mortared wall, very close to the surface. The trench did not impact on this wall. It is likely that the wall is associated with the use of the building as a barracks. The trench continued to the south-west of the Damer House, and into the storage yard. Here the stratigraphy consisted of topsoil, with natural clay encountered at approximately 0.6m below present ground level. No archaeological layers were encountered.

Two trenches were excavated across the walled garden, towards a centrally located modern fountain in the garden. The stratigraphy consisted of gravels and disturbed mixed clays from an earlier and redundant water pipe. As the trenches were kept to a sufficiently high level across the site, no archaeological features were encountered.