2023:865 - Rear Library Garden, Castledermot, Kildare

The Phase 2 Conservation Works of the remains of the Town Wall Defences are a continuation of the Phase 1 Works undertkane in 2022 and related to the entire length of the external (west) face of the west wall, the northern section of the internal (east) face of the west wall, the internal (south) face of the north wall and the external (north) face of the north wall, where exposed; repointing of the external (west) face of the western wall, surviving sections of the internal (east) face of the west wall, and internal and external faces of the north wall; it also included flaunching and soft capping to the northern section of the west wall and the section of the north wall to its northern external return; it also included grouting the core of the intact sections of the west wall where voids were encountered.

The works also included initial exposure and photographic recording of  blocked-up bee-bole niches on the internal (south) face of the north wall. A total of seven bee-bole features were identifiable and were numbered 1 – 7; five were largely intact (Nos 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7) with some damage to the brick-vaulted head of No. 4, while the arched-head and western side wall of No. 3 had collapsed.The bee-boles were arranged in two rows with four at the bottom and three at the top, although it is likely that there were originally four on each row, with evidence for the westernmost one on the top row lost by previous collapse and rebuilding of this section. All intact bee-boles comprised straight-sided support walls and arched-heads of brick; the support walls were generally shared with adjacent niches, except for the outermost; the sidewall and arch-heads were generally formed by a mixture of header and stretcher pattern and the bases incorporated slate of flat stones. Interestingly, the internal heights and widths varied in size. It had been intended that all of the bee-boles would be cleared out and the niches exposed; however, due to the nature of the associated back walls, comprising a width of a single brick, coupled with the soil embanked against the external (north) face, it was considered that such approach would lead to a weakening of the structural integrity of the wall, with the pressure of the soil bank potentially resulting in collapse of the wall; consequently only one niche (Bee-Bole No. 6) was cleared of its fill and this was found to be 0.42m deep.

A limited programme of archaeological testing was undertaken, with test pits located at the internal bases of the northern, southern and western wall remains; this did not uncover any potential foundation remains associated with earlier walls. The nature of foundations uncovered in T1 and T2 were similar and very reflective of the upper extant northern and western walls; the different construction method exposed in this trench, using stepped foundation technique, is not considered to be related to ground conditions but may indicate that this wall was constructed/reconstructed at slightly different date to those to the west and north; unfortunately,  there was no evidence for any foundation trenches uncovered by the testing and no artefactual material was recovered.