2021:787 - Clone, Wexford

In December 2019 and August 2021 the Irish Heritage School (IHS: formerly operating as the Irish Archaeology Field School (IAFS)) undertook a community archaeological dig in the field surrounding Clone church, Clone townland in Co. Wexford. These excavations were undertaken within the context of a larger research project, entitled ‘Discovering St. Aidan’s Monastery’, jointly developed by the IHS, Wexford County Council, and the local community.

Clone church, located 2.25km outside of Ferns village, is in the ownership of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and is a recorded monument (WX015-023002- (graveyard) and WX015-023001- (church)) protected under the National Monuments Acts. In conjunction with the excavations, a programme of geophysical surveys was also undertaken by Ian Elliott of Irish Geophysical and Archaeological Services (IGAS). These surveys were completed in August and October 2019 (License no. 19R0238) and again in October and December 2021 (License no. 21R0219). The main agenda for both the excavations and associated surveys was to:

• Investigate geophysical anomalies initially identified at the site in October and December 2019 (and previously observed during a drone flyover in 2018).
• Clarify if Clone church is surrounded by a monastic enclosure(s) and if possible, date these features.
• Investigate a possible entrance to the early monastic enclosure.
• Investigate a secondary smaller internal enclosure.
• Engage the local community from Ferns and surrounds in a community excavation – bringing the site of Clone to the centre of local public consciousness.

Across both seasons of excavation, a total of four cuttings were opened, dug, assessed and backfilled. All cuttings were found to contain multiple archaeological features amounting to 21 discreet features and 73 individual contexts (as well as 35 finds). Collectively, the excavations and surveys confirmed the existence of an early medieval monastery at the site, revealing three sets of enclosing ditches, as well as ‘lesser’ features, such as furrows, post-holes, hearths, pits, etc. The monastery is delimited by an outer bivallate enclosure and inner enclosure, which is also potentially bivallate. These enclosures themselves surround a third small oval-shaped ditch at the site, which was dated to the fifth to early sixth century. Available dating evidence for the main monastic enclosures indicates the ditches were backfilled in the seventh to ninth centuries, with the exception of the outermost monastic ditch which was not finally backfilled until the eleventh to thirteenth century. The final backfilling of this feature occurred after the construction of a stone entrance close to the original early medieval monastery entrance. As the excavation confirmed the existence of three enclosing elements at the site, it fulfilled its main research aim; these enclosures survived across the early to later medieval periods and measured 200m, 130m and >45m respectively from outer to inner circuit.

Final reporting for the site has now been completed. This reporting includes seven specialist contributions, details on non-invasive surveys at the site and a detailed presentation of the excavation results with reference to both the site’s history and built heritage. Further details are also published, see Discovering Medieval Ferns, Co. Wexford, published through Four Courts Press, or contact the Irish Heritage School to request a copy of the final stratigraphic report.