News 2017
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Unexpected medieval burials in Ennis - 4th September 2017
A report on monitoring carried out during the Ennis Watermains Rehabilitation project in 2015-2016 has just been completed and there were some surprising results. Disarticulated human bone was found beneath the road surface in two places in the town centre - in Old Barrack Street and at the junction of Carmody Street and the Kilrush Road. One of the pieces of bone was radiocarbon dated to the 14th to 15th centuries which suggests that there was a previously unknown medieval burial ground in this part of Ennis which has been disturbed by the expansion of the town over the intervening years. It has always been thought that the only medieval graveyard in Ennis was at the friary and that a graveyard shown on 19th century maps at Garraunakilla was an unofficial post-medieval paupers' burial ground with no earlier origins.
Monitoring during pipe laying is not the most glamorous archaeological work but this project shows that the results can sometimes be as important as any excavation.
The report for the site can be downloaded here.
Thanks are due to Ward & Burke Construction who funded the work.
Heritage Week - August 2017
TVAS staff have had a busy Heritage Week 2017 with several events across the country.
A talk on the results of excavation at Ballinacarrig, Co. Carlow was held in Tinryland Parish Hall, Carlow, on Monday 21st August.
Children's dig boxes were a great hit at the Cork City Museum event on 19th August and the Waterford Go Biking with Viking event on 27th August.
Quin Friary excavation media coverage - 28th March 2017
This week's Clare People has several pages of coverage of the volunteer excavation at Quin Friary that took place in September 2016. There are lots of photos of Graham and Joe in the sunshine.
More details of the project are available on the Quin project page.
The excavation report for the site can be downloaded here.
'How to be an archaeologist' workshops - March 2017
We are once again involved in presenting these entertaining and informative workshops in partnership with the Clare Museum in Ennis.
The workshops are organised and hosted by the museum and are aimed at secondary school Transition Year students. They are held on most Thursdays from March through to June. Bookings for school parties of up to 25 students can be made by contacting Darren at Clare Museum claremuseum@clarecoco.ie.
Quin Friary excavation report complete - February 2017
The fantastic volunteer excavation at Quin Friary took place in September 2016. This community-based project was a great success and and more details are available on the Quin project page.
Thanks once again to all our wonderful volunteers. We had a ball and we hope you did too.
The excavation report for the site can be downloaded here.
You can also read all about the project in The Clare Champion
