County: Westmeath Site name: Monasset Castle
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WM039-014--- Licence number: 22E0691
Author: Rory Sherlock
Site type: Tower-house
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 641166m, N 733072m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.346270, -7.381767
Monasset Castle, a ruined late medieval tower-house, is currently undergoing conservation works funded by the Community Monuments Fund. Archaeological monitoring was undertaken on the site over three days in August and September 2022.
A large mound of rubble was moved a short distance away from the ruin under archaeological supervision, and the installation of temporary scaffolding was also monitored. The base of the batter along the surviving portions of the southern and western walls was then exposed through manual excavation, so that the batter could be reinstated upon the base to lend support to the walls above. The excavation was generally just 0.1m to 0.15m in depth and the excavated material consisted of vegetation, topsoil, and occasional stones.
No finds or features of archaeological interest were uncovered during the monitoring programme.
Oughterard, Co Galway
