County: Sligo Site name: Markree Castle, Markree Demense
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SL026-038 Licence number: 15E0478
Author: Donald Murphy
Site type: Non Archaeological
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 569851m, N 825112m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.174085, -8.461771
The works were carried out between 11 March and 12 April 2016. Archaeologists from ACSU originally inspected the works on 11 March 2016. This initial inspection recorded that works to the lower ground level within the castle had already taken place including the removal of floor slabs and excavations for services.
Throughout the lower ground level the majority of the internal corridors had been excavated to a depth of between approximately 0.15m to 0.3m below the original internal ground level. This involved the removal of the existing floor, the majority of which appeared to consist of a flagstone floor. The excavations included the removal of the material on which the flagstones were originally placed; this appeared to be an earthen compact floor with areas of rubble infill possibly associated with the Victorian remodelling of the castle in 1870. In the original kitchen/cook's room excavation works below the original floor had been carried out and in places natural bedrock was visible above which a mix of rubble and at least two phases of flooring consisting of red brick and later flagstones were recorded.
Retrospectively it is not possible to fully assess the impacts that the internal groundworks may have had on any potential subsurface features or deposits of an archaeological nature but from the sections examined it appears that no archaeological deposits or features were evident or disturbed other than the flagstone and underlying red brick floors.
Test trenching of the proposed new car parking area and a ramp down to the new entrance at the south-western elevation of the castle were carried out on 30 March 2016. A total of 4 test trenches were excavated and no features or deposits of an archaeological nature were identified. The excavation of the ramp itself was also monitored.
On 12 April monitoring of external groundworks was carried out during the excavation of trenches associated with new drainage works. No features or deposits of an archaeological nature were identified. The excavation of trenches associated with the drainage works and ramp around the upper garden terrace indicate that the terrace had been heightened during Victorian landscaping of the castle grounds and that the route of the drainage directly followed the extensive existing drainage system around the upper garden terrace.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
