2025:510 - Clonoghil Upper, Offaly

Archaeological testing was undertaken adjacent the zone of notification of Clonoghil castle, Clonoghil Upper, Birr, Co. Offaly (OF035-014001 and OF035-014004). The testing hoped to partly ‘re-risk’ the site establishing if archaeology is present.

Testing was undertaken on 5 December 2025. A total of five trenches were excavated amounting to a total of 420.4 linear meters. Testing did not reveal any features of archaeological interest; this finding was consistent with the findings of previous geophysical survey, field survey and archaeological testing in the field, the latter by David Sweetman, all of which indicated that the archaeological features were concentrated around the castle site itself. Two likely field boundaries were encountered in the southern trenches, both of which are visible on the first-edition six-inch Ordnance Survey Map (1837—1842) where they appear to mark a wooded area, probably associated with nearby Syngefield House (1790s onward). They are also, more clearly, visible on the 25-inch Ordnance Survey Map (1888—1913). These boundaries were also identified in January 2023, during a geophysical survey by Dr Ger Dowling of the field surrounding Clonoghil Castle by (Licence No. 23R0024), when they were documented as ‘landscape features’. Earthworks associated with these landscape features also survive in this area of the field as low, intermittent hummocks.