What is recorded here

Kilmallock is a place where modern houses risk burying medieval memory, so Linda G. Lynch cut three narrow trenches through the soil in 2006 to discover what lived beneath. Walls, pits and a broad ditch emerged, some belonging to recent neighbours and others reaching back before the sixteenth century. The excavation did not build glamour; it refused to let ignorance pave over the town’s deeper life.

Test-trenching was carried out by Linda G. Lynch under licence No.05E1235 in advance of a development of three dwelling houses and associated site works. The development is within the zone of archaeological potential of the historic town of Kilmallock. Three test-trenches were excavated. All were 10m in length and varied between 1.3m and 1.5m in width. Numerous features, including walls and soakaway pits, were identified in the two trenches located just to the west of Sheares Street. These appear to represent habitation activity on the site in modern times. A large ditch and four pits were identified in the two test-trenches to the rear of the site (off Sheares Avenue). At least one of the pits may be medieval in date, while it is surmised that the ditch is pre-16th century in date. These features are archaeological in nature. Further monitoring of the area of the site fronting onto Sheares Street, as well as the excavation of the features identified at the rear of the site, is scheduled for 2006'(www.excavations.ie)..

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