2022:922 - Clonmacnoise, Offaly

Archaeological monitoring and excavation was carried out at Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly, within the existing car parking area. Clonmacnoise is an Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site and a National Monument (Nos 81, 250 & 601, OF005-005) in State care. This work was carried out on behalf of the Office of Public Works under Ministerial Consent (C000843). Monitoring and excavation were conducted in advance of improvement works which include a new car park surface, part removal of existing landscaping and excavation of new ducting, drainage and soak pits.
Archaeological testing was carried out within the existing parking area in January 2019 (E004961, Consent C000843, R000476; Murphy 2019). Four areas were identified containing archaeological features and it was proposed to preserve by record the features within Areas 1-3.
Excavation of these areas and features took place in November 2021. Area 1 contained an east-west linear ditch, C6, and a hearth, C7. Area 2 contained three northeast-southwest cultivation furrows and a pit, C41. Area 3 contained a stone wall, C42, and a curvilinear ditch C45.
Archaeological monitoring took place in April 2022. Additional features were identified during this phase of works and all mechanical groundworks ceased to facilitate the excavation of these features. The features comprised of four pits (C50, C52, C57 and C58) and the continuation of ditch C6 from Area 1.
Seven artefacts were found during excavations. One, an iron ring pin (E4961:63:1), needed immediate conservation and was sent to Susanna Kelly in UCD. Three small copper alloy objects were also found (E4961:54:1-3). While each of these objects are of a similar size, they vary in shape. Thus, it is unknown if these objects were from the same artefact or fragments of several objects. A fragment of animal bone with evidence of use in manufacturing was found in the recut (C62) of pit C58 (E4961:63:2).
The excavations at Clonmacnoise identified a number of features associated with the monastic complex. Ditch C45 in Area 3 was suggested to be a continuation of enclosing ditch OF005-027001 identified during excavations in 2000. However, the ditch would have to take a sharp return north which is considered unlikely. This ditch may represent an internal division within the complex.
Most of the excavated features contained a large quantity of animal bone as well as a moderate number of metallurgical waste cakes. This suggests that these may have been waste pits.
All archaeological investigations are complete, and no further mitigation is recommended.