2015:189 - Thomastown, Kilkenny

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kilkenny Site name: Thomastown

Sites and Monuments Record No.: KK028-040 Licence number: C631

Author: Mary Henry

Site type: Post-medieval and medieval urban

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 658449m, N 641913m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.525442, -7.138659

A Village Renewal Scheme was undertaken in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. The scheme entailed extensive ground works to accommodate footpath renewal, drainage works, the laying of overhead cables underground, the erection of new ESB poles, as well as new street furniture and tree planting. Works were located within the town centre: along Market Street; Pipe Street; the western part of Low Street; the southern extent of Lady Well Street, and at the very north-eastern end of Marsh's Street.

It was apparent from the start that subsurface features and remains were still extant within the town at shallow depths. This was particularly the case with the almost ubiquitous presence of a cobbled surface [F.4] revealed in all streets affected by the works, and appears to have been the last phase of street development prior to the modern era. Based on both form and construction it is considered it dates from, or around, the turn of the 19th/20th century. Occurring anywhere from 0.3-0.45m beneath the ground surface, it was constructed with small to medium rounded cobbles, predominantly well-laid and perfectly tamped; although at various locations there was evidence of repair and patching, as well as damage caused by modern works. However, it should be noted that it was in particularly good condition on the majority of the west side of Market Street, especially towards its southern end where a low-lying kerb was revealed. Other features considered to date to the earlier part of the 20th century were a culvert on Lady's Well Street, a red brick culvert near the north-eastern corner of Market Street and the remains of a red brick wall at the junction of Lady’s Well Street and Pipe Street.

Interestingly, on the east side of Market Street, the upper cobbled surface comprised far larger cobbles, with occasional smaller ones used to fill any gaps [F.22]. This surface was cut by a stone-built culvert. It was considered that the base of this culvert had been a medieval surface bonded with a lime-based mortar, whereas the culverts associated with the cobbled surface found elsewhere contained much red brick within their fabric and were bonded with Portland cement-based mortar. It is therefore suggested that at the time of laying [F.4], around the turn of the 20th century, the east side of Market Street, in the form of [F.22], was in such condition as not to require re-laying. With two different styles of road and paving present, the symmetry of the streetscape would have been thrown off kilter; however, it should be remembered that Market Street was in two distinct sections, east and west, separated by the stream flowing to the river from above Lady’s Well Street. When this is taken into account, the optical aesthetics are not nearly as severe. Regarding the stream, where revealed during trenching for ducting it was culverted beneath the last house on the south side of Low Street on a north-east/south-west alignment, entering the river immediately to the east of the bridge. Based on the results from monitoring, in conjunction with the sparse pottery sherds found, it is suggested the surface [F.22] dates to the middle of the 19th century and associated with famine works, whilst, as stated above, the genesis of [F.4] is around the late 19th/early 20th century. The incorporation of medieval cobbled surfaces utilised as culvert bases had been previous identified in other towns. Other features identified as also pertaining to this period was a loose cobbled surface midway along Market Street and another surface in the south-eastern part of Market Street.

A number of wall foundations found on Pipe Street, a wall on Market Street and one on Low Street are considered to date to the post-medieval period, although a late medieval provenance should not be ruled out for the wall foundation remains on Low Street. These features were preserved in situ.

It is considered the earliest features uncovered, predating those described above, are at the cusp of the medieval/post-medieval period at their latest. These included a number of surfaces exposed on Market Street and one on Low Street. A possible addition could be the base of the ESB pole opening on Logan Street, but must still be classed as unconfirmed at this stage. Of these, it is considered, three of them may in fact, be internal floor surfaces possibly associated with a shop/tradesman's premises. All were preserved in situ.

It should also be noted that throughout this scheme the maximum amount of care was taken to ensure the minimum impact on the archaeological deposits, with all openings kept to as shallow a depth as possible and the natural deposition was not revealed in any of the ground works. Therefore it is considered, due to the relatively high number of surfaces deemed to be of the late medieval/early post-medieval period, as well as the shallowness of a number of recent ground-intrusive schemes within the town, that it is probable that a high percentage of medieval layers and deposits may still be preserved, by and large, in situ.

17 Staunton Row Clonmel , Co. Tipperary.