2025:360 - Tullow town centre, Tullowphelim, Carlow

Archaeological monitoring of the Uisce Éireann c. 2300m long water mains replacement scheme took place between 18 February and 8 October 2025. The work principally entailed open-cut trench excavation with some pit and horizontal drilling occurring. It was found during the works that while the vast majority of the urban area has been intensely disturbed stratigraphically, there are some areas where there is potential for the survival of medieval remains. The survival of isolated deposits highlights the difficulty of predicting where archaeological remains survive and could thus be vulnerable to unintentional, destructive impacts.

A cobblestone surface was exposed at 1.2m below present ground level. It consisted of well bedded-in limestone cobbles with an average surface dimension of approximately 0.1m. The surface extended for two metres east to west and may have been laid in conjunction with an earlier incarnation of the bridge that appears to have had a considerably wider north-east to south-west span than is there today. The surface was located at ITM: 685109 673095. Impact on the surface from the excavation was minimal and it has been preserved in situ.

Immediately northeast of the cobblestone surface there was a deposit of waterlogged, highly organic soils containing animal bone and ashy/sooty deposits that were reminiscent of typical medieval cess pits (in both appearance and aroma). It was not possible, for safety reasons, to access this layer for closer scrutiny. The main body of these deposits was below the level required for the pipe-laying works and was not impacted. While these deposits may represent typical cess deposits, their proximity to the river does not rule out the possibility that the decayed, organic waste matter was deposited in a ‘backwater’ of the river rather than an actual cess pit. Irish rivers have a long and unfortunate history of being seen as a good way to dispose of waste. The surface was located at ITM 685125 673114. This layer is below the required trench depth and was not impacted upon by the excavations. These deposits have been preserved in situ.

At the north-west end of Market Square, a heavily truncated, isolated lens of medieval silts was observed in the section. The lens measured 2m and was truncated by the pipe trench. It was also heavily truncated at both ends of its long axis (north-east/south-west). The deposits were characterised by ashy/sooty deposits with frequent oyster shells and a single sherd of Leinster Cooking ware was observed in the deposits. This probably represents the only surviving element of an original medieval surface in this area. Other excavations nearby did not contain similar deposits.

Three small pits containing dog bones were present close to the former Constabulary Barracks (now the Gárda station) at the junction of The Course and the Dublin Road (ITM 685412 673313). These are likely to be contemporary with a 19^th-century RIC presence in the barracks. The burial pits contained just some of the dog bones and there were no intact skulls or spines present although two disarticulated mandibles from two separate dogs were unearthed nearby.

Three features of archaeological importance were uncovered during the second phase of excavations on Mill Street. None of these features were visible in plan and were only visible in the section. The three features may well be the surviving elements of a larger cohesive feature. Three archaeological features were identified and may be attributed to the twelfth century based on the presence of sherds of Leinster cooking ware within secure contexts. The features consisted of two rock-cut ditches and a rock-cut pit. The fills were similar if not identical in each case and were composed of loose, water-rolled cobbles and gravels set within a sandy topsoil redeposit. There were clearly defined tipping lines in the ditch fills that were characterised by concentrations of fine sand below the tip lines that may indicate exposure to the elements for an extended period and consequential sorting of finer particles. Tipping lines were not visible in the fills of the pit. The south ditch cut (F01) is located at ITM 685349 672915. The pit (F02) is located at ITM 685344 672932. The north ditch (F03) cut is at ITM 685339 672946.

F01 measured 1m deep by 2.2m wide and had a projected orientation of east to west. The sides of the cut were steep to the north and almost vertical to the south with an unknown break of slope due to modern truncation. The base was relatively flat and relatively even. The ditch was cut into granite bedrock. This rock is now decayed and easily excavated with modern machinery but its hardness may have been different when the ditch was first excavated. The fills were characterised by sandy redeposited topsoil with frequent subrounded cobbles with average dimensions of 100 – 150mm, gravels and grits.

F02 measured 1m wide at the top and 0.4m wide at the base. It was 0.8m deep. The sides were gradually sloped with an unknown break of slope due to modern truncation and the base was flat and slightly uneven. The fills were characterised by sandy redeposited topsoil with frequent subrounded cobbles with average dimensions of 100 – 150mm, gravels and grits. There were no clearly discernible stratigraphic differences.

F03 measured 2.4m wide at the top and was 0.6m deep. The sides were very gently sloped with an unknown break of slope due to modern truncation. The base was very uneven. The fills were characterised by sandy redeposited topsoil with frequent subrounding cobbles with average dimensions of 100 – 150mm, gravels and grits. There were clearly visible tipping lines as evidenced in F01.

Three sherds in total of Leinster cooking ware were recovered from the three features. It is possible that F01 and F03 are parts of the same feature which may be an enclosing element rather than two isolated linear features. If so, it is likely that the pit (F02) was on the interior of an enclosure and that other features that may have been present were destroyed when residential and other buildings were constructed in the post-medieval period.