Ecclesiastical enclosure in Durrow Demesne

National Monument in State Ownership & Guardianship No. 313. A monastery was founded at Durrow reputedly by Colum Cille [of the church] who died in 597 and whose feastday is celebrated on the 9th of June (Ó Riain 2011, 213-14). Colum Cille whose original name may have been Criomthann was descended from a branch of the Ceinéal Conaill of Donegal (ibid., 211). He established a monastery at Iona in Scotland and is the earliest known founder of a church outside of Ireland (ibid., 212). Over sixty churches claim to have been founded by Colum Cille many of which have no historical documentation to support their claims (ibid., 213). No surface trace visible of the ecclesiastical enclosure of Durrow monastery which was revealed by ploughing in 1985 (O'Brien 2012, 118) in a field to the S of Durrow church (OF009-005013-) graveyard (OF009-005009-) and high cross (OF009-005010-). In 1870 Mr. Thomas Stanley of Tullamore described the location of a rampart inside the ancient gate of Durrow which appears to have been the upstanding remains of the monastic enclosure that has been subsequently levelled (Anon. 1870, 28). The rampart described by Stanley may have been the same earthwork as drawn by De Courcy Williams in 1897 (De Courcy Williams 1899, 232). A drawing of this field containing the monastic enclosure was drawn by Reverend Sterling de Courcy Williams in 1899 which shows the upstanding remains of the monastic enclosure (diam. c. 470m E-W) along with a 'backache stone' (OF009-005023-) now lost and the 'headache stone' which is the small base of the high cross (OF009-005007-) standing along the avenue into Durrow Abbey House. This drawing clearly shows the remains of the old entrance into Durrow Abbey House which is now disused and is visible as a cropmark. This avenue into Durrow Abbey House is shown on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. Geophysical survey carried out in 2000 and 2001 identified the route of this trackway (OF009-005024-). See attached image of drawing of the termon of Durrow by De Courcy Williams in 1899. This drawing suggests the the Anglo-Norman motte castle (OF009-005001-) was built on the line of monastic enclosure. The 'Backache Stone' which no longer survives in this field may have been a bullaun stone (OF009-005023-). The 1899 drawing suggests that there was a larger enclosure surrounding Durrow monastery than that identified by the geophysical survey and aerial photographs. If this drawing is accurate it suggests that the enclosure identified on the aerial photographs and by the geophysical survey is the remains of an inner or secondary enclosure. The rampart drawn by De Courcy Williams suggests that the outer monastic enclosure was located futher to the S of the cropmark and that the curving E boundary of 'Pheasant Wood' depicted on the 25-inch OS map follows the line of the larger monastic enclosure. Aerial photographs taken by Leo Swan (SMR File) and the GSI in June 1973 (GSIAP, N 535/6) clearly shows the semi-circular cropmark of the inner monastic enclosure at Durrow (SMR File). On these aerial photographs the monastic enclosure shows up as a semi-circular enclosure defined by two concentric widely spaced crop marks representing the remains of a possible double-banked enclosure (diam. c. 250m E-W). On these aerial photographs the monastic enclosure is only visible in the field to the S of the church (OF009-005013-) and graveyard (OF009-005009-). The cropmark is clearly visible from E through S to W only. There are no visible remains of the enclosure on these aerial photographs in the fields to the N of Durrow church and graveyard and it is unlikely that there was ever an enclosing element on the N side of Durrow church and graveyard where the wet marshy land acted as a natural enclosing element for the monastery (King 2012, 129-31). The curving cropmark of the enclosure on the W side appears to turn N towards the Anglo-Norman motte castle (OF009-005001-). It is possible that this earth and timber castle was built on top of the monastic enclosure in a similar way to the motte castles at Lorrha (TN004-010012-), North Tipperary and at Seir Kieran (OF039-003009-), Co. Offaly. Recent geophysical survey carried out in 2000 and 2001 (O’Brien 2012, 119-20) confirmed the existence of the monastic enclosure identified on earlier aerial photographs of Durrow Demesne (SMR file) along with possible remains of other potential monuments to the S and SE of the outer enclosure. The geophysical survey identified the possible subsurface remains of this enclosure in an area immediately S of Durrow Abbey House (King 2012, 130) which suggests that the motte castle was built just outside the line of the monastic enclosure (O’Brien 2012, 117). However it is possible that the geophysical features in the area immediately S of Durrow Abbey House are the remains of another feature inside the enclosure. No geophysical survey was carried out in the area immediately to the S of the motte castle due to the presence of trees and vegetation. The geophysical survey carried out in 2000/01 also identified the possible remains of two inner monastic enclosures in the field to the SW and W of the church (OF009-005013-) and graveyard (OF009-005009-) (O’Brien 2012, 119, 121). The incomplete shape of the larger enclosure in the field to the SE and the termination of the cropmark on the geophysical survey in this area offers the slightest suggestion that this earthwork may have served another function. Future archaeological testing on the cropmark of the enclosure may reveal dating evidence for its construction. Limited archaeological investigations were undertaken by Tracy Collins of Aegis Archaeology Ltd. under licence No. E3161 at Durrow as part of the ongoing conservation works at the National Monument on behalf of the OPW (Collins 2009, 449). Two trenches, measuring some 200m in length, 0.5m in depth and 0.5m in width, were excavated by mini-digger at either side of the avenue to Durrow House. Approximately half of the avenue’s length is within the zone of archaeological potential for the complex. These trenches are proposed for future service conduits for the church structure which now houses the high cross. The trenches were sealed with varying modern stony surfaces for the avenue, which was underlain by the natural parent material of reddish-orange/brown compacted sandy clay. According to aerial photographic evidence for the site, the avenue bisects a circular enclosing element for the early medieval monastery. However, the two trenches dug did not reveal any information on this element. It is likely that this feature does remain subsurface and the depth of the trenches dug did not reach it. Human remains were located at the western end of the southern trench. They were located outside the current graveyard (OF009-005009-), though inside the likely enclosing element of the monastery. Furthermore they lay to the north-east of a high cross base, locally known as the ‘socket stone’ (OF009-005007-). The human remains were examined in situ and found to be previously disturbed, though likely to have been articulated when buried. The remains were orientated east–west with the heads to the west, in the Christian tradition. The minimum number of individuals was estimated at three adults. It was agreed that these remains could be left in situ, protected under the proposed conduit route. A short trench was dug across the avenue at its western end to connect the two trenches with service trenches dug in the previous season. All trenches were then lined with plastic and backfilled. During the winter of 2006, a tree fall occurred immediately outside and to the north-west of the graveyard. When the area was inspected it was found that human bone had been exposed. During this season’s works, this exposed area plus the tree root ball itself were investigated. A large quantity of human bone was revealed. Upon examination it was found that most of