County: Roscommon Site name: Roscommon Urban Realm Improvement Scheme
Sites and Monuments Record No.: R0039-043004 & R0039-043004 Licence number: E005306
Author: Tim Coughlan
Site type: Medieval urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 587411m, N 764567m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.630756, -8.190331
Archaeological testing was undertaken as part of an assessment to determine the impact of the Roscommon Urban Realm Improvement Scheme located in the Main Street and Square of Roscommon Town. Investigations at the possible location of the medieval gate house (R0039-043004) and town defences (RO039-043004) took place in March 2021. The assessment also included a metal detection survey on all excavated material from the trench.
A single test trench was laid out to target the extent of the remains of a wall (Wall 1), possibly part of the gate house (R0039-043004) that was identified during monitoring by AMS Ltd in 2019. One trench was dug which reached across to the west side of the site of the road in the hope of identifying a second wall also associated with the medieval gate house. The trench was excavated in two halves to facilitate the traffic through the town.
The assessment confirmed that Wall 1 was substantial enough to be associated with a large masonry structure such as a gate house as identified by AMS Ltd during previously investigations. A second wall was identified running parallel to Wall 1 but was significantly impacted by earlier activity and is unclear if it relates to Wall 1.
A mortared stone culvert was identified to the west of the centre of the Main Street and is possibly contemporary with Wall 1. A second culvert was identified but has been significantly damaged by modern services. No direct evidence of a western flanking gate house was identified during the testing.
The metal detection survey was designed to record any ferrous and non-ferrous material present within the overburden. The survey was limited to the soils filling the construction cut for Wall 2 as all other deposits were modern. Nothing was recovered from the limited survey.
No direct evidence of a western flanking gate house was identified on the west side of Main Street but it is noted that this area of the test trench was heavily disturbed by services. It remains possible that if Culvert 1 was located centrally within the gateway in Main Street, that the flanking western gate house structure may be located beneath the footpath and to the west of the test trench.
c/o IAC Archaeology, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
