2016:393 - St Mary’s Parish, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kilkenny Site name: St Mary’s Parish, Kilkenny

Sites and Monuments Record No.: KK019-026001 Licence number: E004503 C607 variation

Author: Gill McLoughlin

Site type: Town defenses (conservation works)

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 650517m, N 656421m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.656622, -7.253325

Monitoring of conservation works for the stabilisation and protection of Evan’s Tower and wall walk were required as part of the conditions issued in relation to Ministerial Consent Variation C607 applied for by Eamonn Kehoe of Shaffrey Associates Architects. The tower and wall walk are part of the town defences (KK019-026001) and National monument (no.72) located within the grounds of the former Smithwick’s St Francis' Abbey Brewery, Kilkenny City. Monitoring of demolition activities and the conservation works was carried out on behalf of Diageo Ireland.

All excavation work undertaken as a conservation measure in order to stabilise and protect Evan’s Tower was also monitored and recorded from 14 March–20 April 2016. Numbering, recording and removal of loose stone from the monument took place first so that below ground inspection could commence in a safe environment. Three test pits 1m x 1m x 1.2m deep were hand-excavated adjacent to the wall walk to a depth of 1.2m. Due to the disturbance encountered in the test pits and the damage to the below-ground structural remains it was necessary to expose the full extent of the subsurface wall walk structure as an archaeological exercise by expanding the test pits into a test trench. The extent of this work was dictated by the conservation necessity to stabilise and repair below-ground masonry in order to allow above-ground repairs to take place. The initial excavation depth of 1.2m uncovered sections of missing masonry at the pier locations and localised deeper excavation was necessary around the base of the piers in order for repair work to take place. It was necessary to establish solid footings on which repairs to the wall could be made.

Excavation of the trench revealed that this area had been disturbed up to 1.8m in depth and modern finds and debris were found throughout. The only finds recovered were modern in nature and mostly comprised beer bottle fragments.

In a localised deeper area of excavation to establish a solid base for repairs to one of the piers, a mid brown gritty clay was identified at 1.8m below ground level. There did not appear to be any modern inclusions within this deposit, although the area examined was very limited, and as such there could be archaeological potential at this level.

Works included the consolidation of masonry, repair of stone masonry and reinstatement of missing masonry using salvaged stone from the site. Temporary propping was required to the masonry structure (arches) as the excavation proceeded. A condition and structural appraisal of the substructure of the monument was carried out by the conservation engineer and architect on an ongoing basis as it was exposed. Stabilisation and protection works of the monument were then undertaken and included rebuild of a vulnerable section of the wall walk, repair of arches in the wall walk, repair to the ope to the tower from the wall walk and removal of fallen stone and consolidation of the collapsed stairs within the wall walk. Following the undertaking of repair works, the trench that was excavated to inform and facilitate the repair works was lined with terram and backfilled with hardcore and loose gravel was overlaid at ground level.

The newly revealed masonry remains indicate that the wall walk and the tower may have been contemporary, with steps in the wall walk rising to the ope in the west wall of the tower. These steps were revealed under fallen masonry behind the inner parapet wall and were exposed, recorded and repaired. The inner parapet wall abutted the west side of the tower and appeared to have been part of later modifications to the wall walk, possibly for cosmetic reasons. There was no facing to the back of this wall and this is the section that was threatening to collapse and required rebuilding. The piers were not tied into the wall behind (what appears as recesses) and also appeared to have been later additions, tacked onto the original city wall and wall walk.

The conservation works were undertaken by Tallis & Company Ltd on site, and the conservation team included structural engineer Lisa Edden and conservation architect Eamonn Kehoe.

Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy, Lynwood House, Ballinteer Road, Dublin 16