Dunkerrin — Franckfort

In 1185 Dunkerrin was granted to Theobald Butler by Prince John and by 1200 Theobald appears to have beein in possession of these lands (Orpen 1911-20 ii, 102; Gwynn and Gleeson (1961 174-6). Dunkerrin became a manorial town in the Gaelic territory of Éile under Anglo-Norman rule in the thirteenth century. During this time a timber castle (OF045-022001-) may have been built here. On the moat farm in the village of Dunkerrin there is a circular earthwork or ringwork that could have been the outer defences of an Anglo-Norman timber castle. In 1305 Dunkerrin is listed as an important Butler manor (White 1932, 147-54). According to this extent the manor consisted of a grange, a cowshed, a sheepfold, a kitchen and a mill (White 1932, 148). A record of burgage returns paid by the burgesses indicates the existence of a borough there in 1305 (White 1932, 151). In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries a new stone castle (OF045-045) may have been built at Dunkerrin as the fortified residence of the O'Carrolls. There are no surviving earthworks of the borough but it is likely that it was situated between the church (OF045-022002-) and the site of the timber castle (OF045-022001-) (Bradley 1987, 42). Trial-trenching carried out by Brian Hodkinson under licence no. 98E0061 on a site for a new house, just east of the Church of Ireland church in Dunkerrin village, revealed no features of archaeological significance. An old north-south field boundary was noted and dated to the 18th century or later. Monitoring of groundworks by Brian Hodkinson under licence no. 98E0095 for a small funeral home besides the Catholic church in Dunkerrin village and opposite where No. 551 (above) took place, revealed no features of deposits of archaeological significance. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011