County: Kilkenny Site name: Jerpoint Abbey, Jockeyhall, Thomastown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KK028-026005 Licence number: C000772, E004765
Author: Seán Shanahan & Marion Sutton; Shanarc Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Medieval abbey
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 657137m, N 640276m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.510869, -7.158272
Archaeological monitoring of excavations relating to the rehabilitation of existing water-main infrastructure in road carriageway R448, adjacent to Jerpoint Abbey, was carried out from 27 April to 12 May 2021, under the conditions of Ministerial Consent C000772 (Excavation No. E004765). Jerpoint Abbey is a National Monument in State Ownership (National Monument No. 80) and a Recorded Monument (KK028-026005).
While no significant archaeological deposits were encountered, seven features of archaeological interest were recorded, namely three stone- and slab-built culverts and three separate lengths of stone wall; a seventh feature is described as a linear arrangement of stone, the limited nature of the feature making further interpretation overly speculative. Only one culvert remains in use, aligned on a drainage channel running westward through the abbey grounds and discharging to the mill race to the south of Abbey House. The base of one wall, opposite the west gable of the abbey church, had traces of a lime mortar, and might correspond to a possible wall encountered a short distance further south-south-east in a trial hole, excavated in 2019, it too being associated with degraded lime-based mortar. This wall may then differ from the two more southerly wall sections, which may be the remains of a retaining wall on an earlier road edge. This interpretation is supported by the presence of re-deposited material outside, or to the west side of the wall sections. Comprising large rectangular/sub-rectangular stone in loose, fine dark-brown silty clay, similar to topsoil or garden soil, the deposit suggests in-filling using collapsed or demolished building stone at the abbey, possibly for the purpose of road widening. No in-situ finds were recovered to assist with dating the features recorded.
With the exception of one of the culverts which was truncated during excavation of a 'launch pit' for directional drilling, it was possible to satisfactorily install the new water mains while leaving the exposed features in situ.
Unit 39a, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny
