2025:523 - Roscrea Castle, Tipperary

Archaeological test-trenching was carried out in 2025 in three locations within the main castle yard at Roscrea Castle under Ministerial Consent REF C001475. The testing was performed in order to inform an Impact Assessment of designs for a programme of works associated with accessibility and landscaping at Roscrea Castle.

The proposed design interventions focused on the following four areas: (i) improved access to the side entrance of Damer House and its annex building, (ii) improved access to the ‘Drying Yard’ in the west curtain wall, (iii) landscaping south of the Castle’s Gatehouse and (iv) improved access to the ground floor of Ormond’s Tower.

Trenches 1 & 2 were located at the base of the entrance to the ‘Drying Yard’ which was originally an arrow loop embrasure that was converted into a gateway some time in the early 20th century. The testing proved that the current concrete ramp was laid c.1998 on top of an earlier flight of four steps that had been constructed in the 1980s/1990s. At the entrance base, the medieval masonry was encountered directly below the concrete ramp at 120mm below existing ground levels.

Trench 3 was opened in the cobbled area, just before the existing concrete ramp to the entrance of the Damer annex building (currently used as an exhibition space and public toilets). This trench indicated that no significant archaeology exists to a depth of 600mm below the cobbles where the trench was located. Levels in this area are quite disturbed due to a lot of changes in this corner throughout the 20th century. It also revealed that the cobbled surface that currently exists in this area may have been laid relatively recently – possibly as late as the 1980s. However, the high concentration of ex-situ cobbles found directly below this surface indicates that the current cobbled surface is possibly an attempt to re-instate an earlier incarnation.