County: Offaly Site name: Seir Kieran, Clareen (Churchlands)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: OF039-003001 Licence number: E005400 (Ministerial Consent C001095)
Author: Denis Shine - Irish Heritage School/ CRDS Ltd.
Site type: Monastic site
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 613872m, N 702239m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.070591, -7.793003
The Irish Heritage School ([IHS] on behalf of CRDS Ltd) undertook archaeological monitoring during conservation works of the most historically significant (and degraded) medieval sections of the graveyard wall at Seir Kieran Graveyard, Churchlands, Clareen, County Offaly. This work was undertaken under Ministerial Consent issued by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under Section 14 of the National Monuments Acts (Consent C001095).
The IHS acted as project archaeologists, as part of a larger multi-disciplinary group which included David Kelly and Partners (Conservation Engineers and Project Supervisor Design Phase), Frank C. Murray & Sons Construction Ltd (Conservation Builder and Project Supervisor Construction Phase) and Margaret Quinlan (Conservation Architect). Prior to works commencing David Kelly and Partners were commissioned to carry out a condition report on the graveyard wall in 2021 which included an archaeological (and ecological) survey and historical summary of the site by the IHS. This reporting, funded by the Community Monuments Fund, identified the most at-risk medieval sections of the wall. In 2022 Margaret Quinlan with David Kelly and Partners and the IHS prepared a Method Statement for the most urgent works to the Recorded Monument, with Ministerial Consent subsequently granted in May 2022. Full ortho-rectified photos (and a series of site consultations) were also undertaken at the site prior to archaeological monitoring commencing in July 2022.
Archaeological monitoring comprised: regular archaeological inspection of conservation works in consultation with the Conservation Engineer; visual assessments of any raked-out mortars from the works; strict archaeological supervision of the removal of collapsed rubble along the wall face, either to facilitate the installation of scaffolding or as part of the overall work scope; regular inspection that the materials were stored appropriately on site.
During the course of the monitoring no archaeological artefacts were recorded. A single architectural fragment was documented and remains on site in situ, with several other architectural pieces which were on-site prior to the works commencing. Two ‘new’ architectural features were also recorded in one of the conserved walls following the removal of ivy overgrowth. All works at the site concluded in September 2022.
Johns Hall, Birr, Co. Offaly
