Earthwork in Blackabbey

In pasture on a slight N-facing slope, with good views in all directions. The earthworks and property plots are located within the historic medieval town of Adare (LI021-032001-). They are to the W, SW and S of the Augustinian Abbey (LI021-032006-) and extend from the banks of the River Maigue in the N, to the High Street (N21) in the E and to the rear of the Dunraven Arms Hotel in the S. The multiple field enclosures are not illustrated on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map or later OSi maps. Inspected by the ASI in 2016 when an ESB trench had been dug across the field S of the Augustinian Friary (LI021-032006-). Earthworks were identified that were ‘probably related to medieval activity associated with either the friary or the medieval town’. The ESB trench (L 200m) had been dug and back filled linking an ESB pole in the field to the new entrance of Adare Manor on the N21. Artefacts were recovered ‘lying on the ground along the line of the backfilled trench’. Burnt bone was recovered from the trench surface 6m from the road. A small sherd of post-medieval stoneware and a larger sherd of medieval pottery ‘Adare Ware’ (Sarah McCutcheon pers. comm.) were retrieved on the field surface. The earthworks are visible on Google Earth orthoimages taken 05/02/2009 and 14/02/2020. They are also visible on recent Lidar images taken of the town by TII (ext. diam. 300m N-S; 270m E-W) and comprise of a series of potential burgage plots (Wth 35m-40m N-S) extending from the old High Street to the W. It is not clear where the W town ditch was located, although it may be located at the terminus of the field enclosures or may lie further W. These earthworks represent the remains of burgage /property plots associated with the medieval town of Adare and is a duplicate record with LI021-032001- See attached Google Earth orthoimages and Lidar Image Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan Date of upload: 21 August 2020