2016:107 - Clonbrock Castle, Ahascragh, Galway

During monitoring of service-trench excavations in 2011, the author discovered substantial foundations immediately to the north-west of Clonbrock tower-house, which is currently under restoration. These foundations were interpreted as the base of the western wall of a large house which was built against the northern side of the tower-house in the post-medieval period and was subsequently demolished. Excavation ceased at that time and manual excavation was subsequently undertaken in April 2016. The excavated area measured 10m long by c.1m wide and was designed to connect the 2011 service trench to the tower-house latrine outfall, where the new services would enter the building. In the excavated area, beneath 0.2-0.3m of overburden, a drain-like feature was found. It was T-shaped in plan and was identified as a narrow, shallow channel-like feature set between mortared stone blocks. The longer part of the feature extended up to 2m east-west and generally 0.13m wide and 0.18m deep, while the other part extended for 0.62m north-south and was 0.14m wide and 0.17m deep.

The fill of the drain was a black sandy silt which contained a number of dressmaking pins, some post-medieval pottery, some nails, a significant number of glass, shell and animal bone fragments and an 18th-century coin. The feature was set within a mortared stone base which was removed after it was recorded. The drain, and the base within which it was set, are interpreted as sub-floor foundational and drainage features associated with the post-medieval house which no longer stands. The design of the modern services was changed slightly to facilitate the retention in situ of the foundations uncovered in 2011.

Oughterard, Co Galway