House - medieval

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the N interior of Caherconnell cashel (CL009-030010-), this subrectangular house (int. dims. c. 10m E–W; c. 5m N–S) is defined by stone walls (max. Wth 1.2m; max. H 0.8m). An excavation trench (5.4m NNE–SSW; 1m ESE–WNW; max. D 0.8m) was dug across this house in 2007 (Hull and Comber 2008; Comber and Hull 2010; Hull 2010), wherein it was recorded as ‘Structure A’. The house was fully excavated in 2015 (Comber 2015). The walls are double-faced, comprising mortared limestone slabs laid in horizontal courses with a rubble and clay core. Along the N-S walls large contiguous limestone revetting slabs were set on edge against the inner and outer wall-faces (Hull and Comber 2008; Comber and Hull 2010). The east gable was replaced during the occupation of the house (Comber 2015). The N wall lies 1m to the S of the cashel wall and has an entrance (Wth 1m) with a yew door/doorframe and raised threshold paved with limestone slabs (Hull and Comber 2008, 30; Comber and Hull 2010, 146). There is evidence for internal divisions in the house, with a central hearth, oven, and lime-mortar floor (Comber 2015). A large number of artefacts were recovered during excavations here (Comber 2015; Hull and Comber 2008; Comber and Hull 2010, 147–9), but their exact provenance and relationship to this house has not been confirmed. However, an iron nail fragment and a corroded iron strip, possibly from a hook or clasp have been securely associated with this house (Hull and Comber 2008, 31; Comber and Hull 2010, 148).

The house has been dated to the 15th/16th centuries, possibly continuing into the early 17th century—the final phase of the cashel’s occupation (Comber 2011, 058)—when a family belonging to the lesser nobility may have lived here (Hull and Comber 2008, 32; Comber and Hull 2010, 159).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 19 January 2022

References

Hull. G. 2010 Caherconnell, Clare. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 149. Bray. Wordwell. Available at: https://excavations.ie/report/2007/Clare/0017106/

Comber, M. 2015 Caherconnell cashel, Galway. In Excavations 2015: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 39. Bray. Wordwell. Available at: https://excavations.ie/report/2015/Galway/0024026/

Hull, G. and Comber, M. 2008 Caherconnell, Co. Clare, and cashel chronology. Archaeology Ireland 22, 30-33.

Comber, M., and Hull, G. 2010 Excavations at Caherconnell cashel, the Burren, Co. Clare: Implications for cashel chronology and Gaelic settlement. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 110C, 133–71.