Parke’s Castle, Co. Leitrim: archaeology, history and architecture Foley, C., & Donnelly, C. (2012). Parke’s Castle, Co. Leitrim: archaeology, history and architecture. (Archaeological monograph series ; 7 ). The Stationery Office, Dublin. Document Version: Early version, also known as pre-print Queen's University Belfast - Research Portal: Link to publication record in Queen's University Belfast Research Portal General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Queen's University Belfast Research Portal is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The Research Portal is Queen's institutional repository that provides access to Queen's research output. Every effort has been made to ensure that content in the Research Portal does not infringe any person's rights, or applicable UK laws. If you discover content in the Research Portal that you believe breaches copyright or violates any law, please contact [email protected]. Download date:03. Oct. 2021 Parke’s Castle, Co. Leitrim: Archaeology, history and architecture ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONOGRAPH SERIES: 7 Frontispiece—‘A true description of the Norwest partes of Irelande wherin is showed the most parte of O’Donnells contre, part of Tirones, part of McGuyres, part of Orowercks: all of the Co. of Slego, part of McWillms and parte of the Co. of Roscomon’ by Captain John Baxter, finished by Baptista Boazio, c. 1600 (© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London). Parke’s Castle, Co. Leitrim: Archaeology, history and architecture CLAIRE FOLEY AND COLM DONNELLY (L/C) with contributions by Sarah Gormley, Ruth Logue and William Roulston and with specialist contributions by Fiona Beglane, Paul Courtney, Mark Gardiner, Sheila Hamilton-Dyer, Michael Kenny, Stephen Mandal, Ronan McHugh, Jo Moran, Eimear Nelis, Joe Norton and Siobhán Scully Price: €15 Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Archaeological Monograph Series GENERAL EDITORS—ANN LYNCH AND CONLETH MANNING Also in this series: 1. Excavations at Roscrea Castle (Conleth Manning, ed.) 2. St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin: archaeology and architecture (Mary McMahon) 3. Kells Priory, Co. Kilkenny: archaeological excavations by T. Fanning and M. Clyne (Miriam Clyne) 4. The history and archaeology of Glanworth Castle, Co. Cork: excavations 1982–4 (Conleth Manning) 5. Tintern Abbey, Co. Wexford: Cistercians and Colcloughs. Excavations 1982–2007 (Ann Lynch) 6. Trim Castle, Co. Meath: excavations 1995–8 (Alan Hayden) These monographs are subject to international peer review. © Government of Ireland 2012, subject to the moral rights of the individual authors as established under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any electronic, mechanical or other means known or hereafter invented, including photocopying or recording, or otherwise without either the prior written consent of the copyright holders or a licence permitting restricted copying in Ireland issued by the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, The Writers’ Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. ISBN: 978-1-4064-2714-1 BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH ARNA FHOILSIÚ AG OIFIG AN TSOLÁTHAIR Le ceannach díreach ón OIFIG DHÍOLTA FOILSEACHÁN RIALTAIS, TEACH SUN ALLIANCE, SRÁID THEACH LAIGHEAN, BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH 2. Nó tríd an bpost ó FOILSEACHÁIN RIALTAIS, AN RANNÓG POST-TRACHTA, AONAD 20, PÁIRC MIONDÍOLA COIS LOCHA, CLÁR CHLAINNE MHUIRIS, CONTAE MHAIGH EO Teil: 01-6476384 nó 1890 213434; Fax 094-9378964 nó 01-6476843; Ríomhphost: [email protected] nó trí aon díoltóir leabhair. _______________________________ DUBLIN PUBLISHED BY THE STATIONERY OFFICE To be purchased directly from the GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES OFFICE SUN ALLIANCE HOUSE, MOLESWORTH STREET, DUBLIN 2, or by mail order from GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, POSTAL SECTION, UNIT 20, LAKESIDE RETAIL PARK, CLAREMORRIS, CO. MAYO Tel: 01-6476834 or 1890 213434; Fax: 094-9378964 or 01-6476843; Email:[email protected] or through any bookseller. Copy-edited by Emer Condit (Wordwell Ltd) Designed and typeset by Environmental Publications Cover design by Design for Market Printed by NIcholson and Bass Contents LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Colm Donnelly, Claire Foley, Sarah Gormley and Ruth Logue 2: HISTORICAL CONTEXT 5 William Roulston Introduction 5 The Anglo-Normans in Breifne and north Sligo 6 The O’Rourkes and Newtown Castle 7 Plantation period 9 The Parke family 11 The settler community in north Leitrim c. 1640 12 The castle during the 1640s and 1650s 13 The later history of the Parke family and castle 16 Conclusion 18 The church at Parke’s Castle 18 3: LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE 22 Colm Donnelly Historic landscape 22 Solid geology and soils of the site Stephen Mandal 23 Architectural introduction 24 Castle Duroy 25 Parke’s Castle 26 The gatehouse 27 The manor house 32 The north-east corner tower 36 The north-west corner tower 38 The tower-house foundations 41 The bawn walls 42 v 4: THE EXCAVATION 46 Claire Foley, Sarah Gormley and Ruth Logue Methodology 46 Initial monitoring work 49 The excavation 51 The rock-cut ditch 51 The bawn interior 57 The tower-house 58 Features excavated to the north, south and west of the tower-house 61 The manor house and associated structures 65 The nineteenth-century use of the site 71 The ditch and the 2011 geophysical survey of the area outside the eastern façade of the manor house Ronan McHugh 72 5: THE FINDS 76 Introduction 76 Metalwork Paul Courtney 76 Coins Michael Kenny 89 Pottery Sarah Gormley 90 Vessel glass Siobhán Scully 97 Clay pipes Joe Norton 100 Bone artefacts Fiona Beglane 101 Chipped flint and stone Eimear Nelis 102 Roof slate Sarah Gormley and Mark Gardiner 103 Window glass Jo Moran 105 Stone objects Ruth Logue, Mark Gardiner and Stephen Mandal 107 Animal bone Fiona Beglane 109 Bird and fish bones Sheila Hamilton-Dyer 120 6: DISCUSSION 121 Colm Donnelly and Claire Foley Introduction 121 The tower-houses of ‘Newtown’ 121 A development sequence for Parke’s Castle 125 The O’Rourke castle: the excavated evidence 127 Robert Parke’s castle: the excavated evidence 129 Parke’s Castle: architectural parallels 132 Conclusion 137 BIBLIOGRAPHY 139 vi List of illustrations FIGURES Fig. 1.1. Location of Parke’s Castle. xii Fig. 3.1 Floor plans of the gatehouse, manor house and north-east corner tower. 31 Fig. 4.1 Plan of excavated area, showing layout of cuttings during the early part of the excavation. 46 Fig. 4.2a Plan of upper levels of structures and features inside the bawn and excavated ditch cuttings. 48 Fig. 4.2b Plan of upper levels of structures and features inside the bawn and excavated ditch cuttings. 49 Fig. 4.3a Plan of upper levels of structures and features inside the bawn and excavated ditch cuttings. 50 Fig. 4.3b Plan of structures inside the bawn beneath the cobble layer. 51 Fig. 4.4 South-west-facing section of MI. 53 Fig. 4.5 West-facing section of MII. 53 Fig. 4.6 South-west-facing section of MVIII. 55 Fig. 4.7 South-west-facing section (L–M) through the trench (C.211), with superimposed later structures. 57 Fig. 4.8 Plan of tower-house. 58 Fig. 4.9 South-facing section (A–B) through interior of bawn. 61 Fig. 4.10 Western elevation of sally-port wall. 68 Fig. 4.11 North-west-facing section (D–C) through interior of bawn. 69 Fig. 4.12 Location of geophysical survey grids in relation to the castle. 74 Fig. 4.13 Geophysical survey: interpretation of the data. 75 Fig. 5.1 Arrowheads, lead shot and domestic utensils. 78 Fig. 5.2 Horse equipment. 79 Fig. 5.3 Horseshoes, buckles and miscellaneous metal artefacts. 82 Fig. 5.4 Keys, tuning pegs and miscellaneous metal artefacts. 83 Fig. 5.5 Medieval coarseware, Tudor Green and North French sixteenth-century wares. 91 Fig. 5.6 North French sixteenth-century ware, glazed red earthenware and Staffordshire slipware. 92 Fig. 5.7 Tin-glazed earthenware, North Devon gravel-tempered ware and blackwares. 93 Fig. 5.8 Barrel costrel, Spanish olive jar, stonewares, sgraffito slipware and Staffordshire slipware. 94 Fig. 5.9 Vessel glass. 98 Fig. 5.10 Clay pipes. 100 Fig. 5.11 Bone artefacts. 102 Fig. 5.12 Gunspall and gunflint. 103 Fig. 5.13 Window glass fragment. 105 Fig. 5.14 Window glass. 106 Fig. 5.15 Window glass. 106 Fig. 5.16 Whetstones and cannon-ball. 108 Fig. 5.17 Intersite comparison of faunal remains based on NISP. 112 Fig. 6.1 Reconstruction drawing of tower-house complex. 125 Fig. 6.2 Reconstruction drawing of Parke’s Castle. 125 Fig. 6.3 Excavation plan of Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. 132 vii PLATES Frontispiece ii ‘A true description of the Norwest partes of Irelande wherin is showed the most parte of O’Donnells contre, part of Tirones, part of McGuyres, part of Orowercks: all of the Co. of Slego, part of McWillms and parte of the Co. of Roscomon’ by Captain John Baxter, finished by Baptista Boazio c. 1600 (image © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London). Pl. 1.1 Aerial view of Parke’s Castle. 1 Pl. 1.2 Thomas Cocking’s first engraving of Newtown Castle from 1791. 2 Pl. 1.3 Detail of Parke’s Castle as depicted by Cocking in 1791. 2 Pl. 1.4 Plan of Newtown Castle, Co. Leitrim. 3 Pl. 2.1 Detail from the 1836 edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map (Leitrim Sheet 10), showing the location of Parke’s Castle, Cartron Church and Castle Duroy. 5 Pl. 2.2 The ruins of Castle Duroy. 6 Pl. 2.3 Thomas Cocking’s second engraving of Newtown Castle from 1791.