Forge in Manorland (1st Division)

The ward of the castle provided space for various buildings or structures, dating largely to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but a precise date cannot be provided in most instances. When the smaller hall (ME036-048086-) went out of use its materials were robbed and could have been used in the building that succeed it (ext. dims c. 10.5m NW-SE; 9m NE-SW), although its walls were also robbed out. However, several floor levels were excavated, the earliest with a fine sand floor has gullies, ash spreads, a kiln and a rectangular pit, probably to retain water. Some copper alloy was recovered at this level beneath a cobbled surface with a raised masonry feature like a workbench at the centre. A third level saw further cobbling added around the workbench and large posts installed inside the SW wall, probably to support the roof. Ash and oxidized clay form the deposits throughout, and a fourth floor level is provided by another cobbled surface. It is probable that this was a forge, but as a metal-working shop it could be the historically attested Mint at the castle from 1460-1478. (Hayden 2011, 251-62) Germyn Lynch was appointed warden and master worker of the ‘Moneys and coynes’ within Trim and Dublin castles in 1461 as well as in the town of Galway, and later his brief was extended to Waterford and Limerick. He was empowered to produce silver and copper coins of specific values. The copper or brass coinage was described as: ‘imprinted with the figure of a bishop’s head, and a scripture of this word – Patrick, about the same head: and with a cross, with this word - Salvator, thereabout on the other side.’ In 1478 the Trim mint was given permission to ‘strike and coin all manner of coins of silver…according to such fyness and alloy, as in the statute for that purpose is provided’, but there is no further mention of coining at Trim. No coins made at Trim were recovered in the excavations (Hayden 2011, 270-1), and none of the structure is preserved. (Potterton 2005, 227-8; Duffy 2011, 22) See the attached view of the mint under excavation (Centre) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 July, 2019