County: Louth Site name: Glaspistol, Clogherhead
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LH022-019 Licence number: 23E0877 & Ext 23R0468
Author: Donald Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit Ltd
Site type: Tower house
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 715761m, N 783262m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.786040, -6.243293
Archaeological monitoring of Phase 2 conservation works to a tower house at Glaspistol was undertaken in May – June 2024. Much of this work involved repairing and consolidating the east wall of tower house and the staircase tower in the north-east corner. In addition, the removal of a humus layer and some stone rubble built up at first floor level was archaeologically monitored. The material was also scanned with a Garrett ATX metal detector to recover any potential metal finds or artefacts. None were recovered during these works.
Removal of the spoil at first floor level revealed significant disturbance to depths of 0.8m along the east and west sides of a barrel vault where vegetation and root activity extended into a gravel layer mixed with garden soil. The south-west corner remained undisturbed where traces of a clay floor was exposed. This comprised a mid-brown to orange compact clay that extended 2.74m north-south by 1.5m. It measured 0.15m in maximum thickness and overlay a gravel layer containing broken stone, slate and mortar flecks.
This latter layer presumably was a base layer of a pre-existing floor that survives only in the south-west corner, having been removed elsewhere by the intrusion of root activity and vegetation. Traces of the clay floor were also evident in the floor of the fireplace in the north wall. The clay floor has been retained in situ as it is clearly archaeological in nature.
The remainder of the exposed vault was cleared of soil and was consolidated using lime mortar. However, the vault is currently exposed, and it is recommended that the floor capping be progressed as soon as funds are available.
Excavation of a short east-west trench 1.5m in length by 0.7m in width for a drainage channel outside the east wall of the tower house wasT monitored. This was excavated by hand in the topsoil to a depth of 0.2m. Nothing of archaeological significance was exposed and the trench was subsequently filled with stone and mortar.
Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth. A92 DH99.
