2016:616 - The Avalon Inn, Castlecomer, Kilkenny

A series of test excavations were undertaken in advance of proposed renovations and an extension to The Avalon Inn, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny. The development was located within the area of constraint for KK005-082, the historic town of Castlecomer. It was also located close to KK005-102 - Battlefield, c. 214m north-west of KK005-081 - House 16th/17th Century and c. 381m west of KK005-033001-002 - Motte and Castle. The desk study of the development area indicated that the current Avalon Inn building was built around the year 1800, on the site of an earlier house and gardens, possibly destroyed during the 1798 uprising. The area within which the proposed development lies was therefore considered to be an area of high archaeological potential.

This was confirmed during test excavations, which revealed a total of nine potential archaeological features across the proposed development area. This included evidence of a demolished house to the east of the current Avalon Inn building (Feature 9), some previously demolished outbuildings of uncertain date (Features 3, 6, 8), a stone- and brick-lined culvert (Feature 1), cobbled yard surfaces (Feature 5 and Feature 7), and a large garden feature (Feature 2). No finds predating the post-medieval period were uncovered from the cleanback of the above features.

The findings suggest that substantial remains of the foundations of a demolished house survive below ground to the south-east of the development area. It is possible that these represent the remains of an earlier house destroyed during the 1798 rebellion. To the rear of the current Avalon Inn building, evidence was uncovered of demolished outbuildings, culverts, yard surfaces and a garden feature, which were most likely associated with the existing early 19th-century building. However it may also be possible that some of these features were associated with the earlier house at this site.

Kilkenny Archaeology, 12 Parliament Street, Kilkenny