County: Kilkenny Site name: Garranmachenry
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KK030-008 Licence number: 22E0843
Author: Mary Henry
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 637644m, N 636327m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.477070, -7.445866
A programme of archaeological testing was undertaken as part of seeking planning permission to build a dwelling house and undertake associated site works at Garranmachenry, Killamery, Co. Kilkenny.
The requirement for the archaeological works was due to the fact the site is located close to an archaeological monument recorded in the County Kilkenny RMP. The monument (KK030-008) is classified as a deserted medieval settlement. The south-east corner of the development site is within the zone of archaeological potential for the deserted medieval settlement.
Killamery is mentioned several times in the Calendar of Ormond Deeds, including in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century. The presence of a motte suggests that, at the very least, it was a manorial centre. However, the exact location of the medieval settlement is unknown, though it would have been centred on the motte and the parish church, which is located at the east end of the modern village of Killamery and c. 100m northeast of the medieval church. There is little trace of the medieval church whilst the large graveyard contains a very fine example of a high cross, two bullaun stones, two cross-slabs, a stone cross and a holy well.
A total of four test trenches were sited on the imprint of the proposed works. Other than a modern stone infilled drain, the four trenches were featureless with relative consistent stratigraphy across all openings. The stone infilled drain had a width of 500mm and extended for at least 2.6m on a north-west/south-east axis within the trench. Still functioning, the drain was infilled with loosely packed stone.
17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
