2019:196 - BUNRATTY: Bunratty East and West, Clare

Testing was undertaken from 24–26 June 2019 in three separate areas as part of a proposed re-development at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The project involves extending the existing car park, adding an extension to the welcome building and the construction of a new detached ‘Experience’ Building. In total eight test trenches were excavated, three within the folk park and the rest in a green field to the north of the car park. The cumulative length of trenching was 480m. Trenches 1–3, within the folk park, exposed previously disturbed ground containing modern services and finds over a natural clay. Within the greenfield site, Trenches 4–8 exposed a layer of thick clay under topsoil cut by land drains. No archaeology was found during the course of the investigations.