Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Oct 1977

Vol. 300 No. 5

Written Answers. - Archaeological Excavations.

284.

Mr. Bruton

asked the Minister for Finance the date on which the report of such licensed archaeological excavation referred to in his reply to a question of 12th October, 1977, was received either by himself or the Director of the National Museum.

Minister for Finance (Mr. Colley)

Following is the information requested:

Site	Date Reports Received by Commissioners of Public Works
Dunboy Castle, County Cork.	October 1967
August 1970
December 1972
Rathcoffey Castle,County Kildare	October 1977
Two Wedge Tombs, Coomatloukane Townland, County Kerry.	August 1969
October 1969
Church of St. Mel,Ardagh, County Longford	January 1968
Court Cairn, Shalwy Townland, County Donegal.	September 1969
August 1970
Newgrange, County Meath, Tumulus.	November 1970
November 1971
November 1975
October 1975
Knowth, County Meath, Tumulus.	November 1968
December 1970
December 1971
December 1972
January 1974
May 1977
October 1977
Two Churches, Leigh, County Offaly	October 1970
October 1971
Hillfort at Dun Ailinne, County Kildare.	October 1969
September 1970
September 1971
December 1973
December 1974
December 1975
Carrownaglogh, County Mayo, Pre-bog enclosures.	November 1970
November 1971
November 1974
Baunogenasraid, County Carlow, Dolmen.	1974-75
Belderg Beg/Glenulra, County Mayo, Prebog enclosures.	February 1973
March 1974
December 1975
Lisduggan, County Cork, Three Ringforts.	November 1972
August 1973
August 1973-74
Coolowen, County Cork, Ringfort.	1973-74
Causeway, County Kerry, Fulacht Fiadha.	October 1973
October 1973-74
Rathnarrow, County Westmeath, Barrow.	February 1974
Sluggary, County Limerick, Ringfort.	February 1974
Corbetstown, County Westmeath, Settle ment Site.	February 1973
Cork Old Walled City, Medieval Site.	February 1975
Croom, County Limerick, Ringfort.	February 1974
Dominican Priory Site, Limerick City.	October 1975
Aughinish Island, County Limerick, Rath.	January 1976
Court Cairn and House Site, Ballyglass, County Mayo.	August 1970
November 1971
July 1973
Court Cairn, Croaghbeg, County Donegal.	August 1970
November 1971
October 1972
Inis Caltra, County Clare, Monastic Site.	October 1970
October 1973

285.

Mr. Bruton

asked the Minister for Finance why information was not available to him for inclusion in his reply to question 319 of October 12th, 1977, as to whether the findings of the licensed archaeological excavations at (a) Rathcoffey, County Kildare in 1967-8 (b) Ardagh, County Longford in 1967 (c) Causeway, County Kerry in 1973 (d) Dominican Priory Site, Limerick in 1975 (e) Castletobin, County Kilkenny in 1975 (f) Keeldrum Lower, County Donegal in 1976 and (g) Youghal town walls, County Cork in 1976, had been published by those who had carried them out in appropriate learned journals; if such publication had been made a condition of the issue of the excavation licence in the first instance; if the information is now available; if any of the excavations received support directly or indirectly from public funds; and, if so; how much in each case.

Minister for Finance (Mr. Colley)

Where positive information of the publication of reports on the excavations in question was not available to the Commissioners of Public Works they had to consult the various excavators. In the cases in question the information is not yet available.

Publication of a report had not been made a condition of the issue of the excavation licence.

Six of the excavations received support from public funds as follows:—

Rathcoffey, County Kildare (1967-8)	£1,100
Ardagh, County Longford (1967)	£3,600
Causeway, County Kerry (1973)	£400
Dominican Priory Site, Limerick (1975)	£4,700
Keeldrum Lower, County Donegal (1976)	£1,200
Youghal Town Walls, County Cork (1976)	£3,100

286.

Mr. Bruton

asked the Minister for Finance why information was not available to him for inclusion in his reply to a question of 12 October, 1977, as to whether reports had been received either by himself or by the Director of the National Museum from those carrying out licensed archaeological excavations (a) at Kilmagoura, County Cork in 1967 (b) at Bohy, County Mayo in 1969, (c) two excavations at Aughinish Island, County Limerick in 1974 (d) at Castletobin, County Kilkenny in 1975 (e) at Keeldrum Lower, County Donegal in 1976, and (f) at Youghal town walls, County Cork in 1976; if the submission of such reports had been made a condition of the issue of the excavation licences in the first place; if the information is now available; if any of the excavations received support, directly or indirectly, from public funds; and, if so, how much in each case.

Minister for Finance (Mr. Colley)

The Commissioners of Public Works had no positive information if the Director of the National Museum had received a report (stratigraphical record) in respect of these excavations.

The information has been sought but is not yet available.

Before 1977 directors of excavations were required to submit a stratigraphical record to the Director of the National Museum but they were not required to report to the Commissioners of Public Works. From 1977 they are required to furnish a report to both.

Four of the excavations received support from public funds as follows:—

Kilmagoura, County Cork (1967)	£1,300
Behy, County Mayo (1969)	£400
Keeldrum Lower, County Donegal (1976)	£1,200
Youghal Town Walls, County Cork (1976)	£3,100

287.

Mr. Bruton

asked the Minister for Finance the archaeological excavations which received support from public funds under his aegis in each of the past ten years; the amount in each case; the location of the excavation; the name of the grantee; the conditions imposed in respect of each grant; and if these conditions were fulfilled.

Minister for Finance (Mr. Colley)

Details of the archeological excavations which received support from funds under my aegis in each of the years are attached.

The conditions imposed in respect of each grant are:—

—the grant to relate to one year only (but further grants may be made for subsequent year(s)).

—the grant to be paid as a refund of reasonable vouched expenditure on the excavation.

—no work to be begun until consents have been given by everybody whose lands or rights would be affected by it.

—the grantee and an agreed number of professional assistants to be paid an allowance in respect of out of pocket expenses.

—workmen to be recruited through the National Manpower Service.

—workmen to be paid at the rate paid to roadworkers by the local authority for the area.

These conditions were fulfilled in each case.

Years	Excavation Site	Expenditure	Grantee
		£
1967-70	Dunboy Castle, County Cork	3,000	Edward Fahy, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.C.
1972-73
1967-68	Rathcoffey Castle, County Kildare.	1,100	Seamus Caulfield, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.D.
1967	Earthwork at Kilmagoura, County Cork.	1,300	Robin E. Glasscock, Dept. of Geography, Q.U.B.
1967	Two Wedge Tombs, Coomatloukane, County Kerry	800	Michael Herity, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.D.
1969
1967	Church of St. Mel, Ardagh, County Longford.	3,600	Liam de Paor, Dept. of Modern History, U.C.D.
1967-69	Court Cairn, Shalwy, County Donegal.	4,900	Laurence Flanagan, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
1965-76	Newgrange Tumulus, Newgrange, County Meath.	33,800	Michael J. O'Kelly, U.C.C.
1967-77	Knowth Tumulus, Knowth, County Meath.	128,800	George Eogan, U.C.D.
*1969	Carrowbrack	200	Etienne Rynne, U.C.G.
*1969	Lisbeg	50	Etienne Rynne, U.C.G.
1968-70	Two Churches, Leigh Townland, County Tipperary.	3,700	Robin E. Glasscock, Dept. of Geography, Q.U.B.
1968-75	Hillfort at Dun Aillinne, County Kildare.	33,200	Bernard Wailes, University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
1968-72	Court Cairn and House Site, Ballyglass, County Mayo.	9,000	Sean O'Nualláin, Archaeological Officer, Ordnance Survey, Phoenix Park.
1969	Behy Court Cairn, County Mayo	400	R. De Valera, Dept of Archaeology, U.C.D.
1969-71	Court Cairn, Croaghbeg, County Donegal.	1,800	Laurence Flanagan, Ulster Museum.
1969-73	Hillfort in Rath East, County Wicklow.	18,800	Barry Raftery, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.D.
1969-77	Pre-bog Enclosures, Carrownaglogh, County Mayo.	34,900	Michael Herity, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.D.
1970-77	Monastic Site, Inis Caltra, County Clare.	35,000	Liam de Paor, U.C.D.
1972	Dolmen at Baunogenasraid, County Carlow.	1,700	Barry Raftery, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.D.
1972-76	Pre-bog enclosures, Belderg/ Glenulra, County Mayo.	14,000	Seamus Caulfield, U.C.D.
1972-73	Three ringforts, Lisduggan, County Cork.	2,000	Dermot Twohig, U.C.C.
1973	Ringfort, Coolowen, County Cork.	800	Dermot Twohig, U.C.C.
1973	Fulacht Fiadha, Causeway, County Kerry.	400	Dermot Twohig, U.C.C.
1973-74	Barrow, Rathnarrow, County	5,000	Joe McCabe, 48 Hillside
1977	Westmeath.		Drive, Mullingar.
1973-74	Ringfort, Sluggary, County Limerick.	3,900	Elizabeth Shee, U.C.C.
1973	Settlement site, Corbetstown,	4,000	Leo Swan, 746 Howth Road,
1975, 1977	County Westmeath.		Raheny, County Dublin.
1974	Cork Old Walled City, Medieval site.	58,300	Dermot Twohig, U.C.C.
*1974	Cregg, Circ. Enclosure, Glandore, County Cork.	700	Edward Fahy, U.C.C.
1974	Ringfort, Croom, County Limerick.	600	Elizabeth Shee, U.C.C.
1975	Dominican Priory site, Limerick City.	4,700	Elizabeth Shee, U.C.C.
1976	Megalithic structure, Keeldrum Lower, County Donegal.	1,200	H.E. Kilbride-Jones, 24 Glenomena Park, Blackrock, County Dublin.
1976	Youghal Town Walls, County Cork.	3,100	Sheila Lane, U.C.C.
1977	Cistercian Abbey Church, Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny.	2,300	Conleth Manning & John Bradley, c/o Glen Cottage, Dunbell, County Kilkenny.
1977	Barrow, Knocknashammer, County Sligo.	1,300	Martin Timoney, St. Anthony's Cliffoney, County Sligo.
1977	Stone Alignment, Maughanasilly, County Cork.	1,600	Ann Lynch, U.C.C.
1977	Post-medieval site, Sullivan's Quay, Cork City.	6,000	Sheila Lane, Dept. of Archaeology, U.C.C.

* These excavations were not included (inadvertently) in my reply of 12th October, 1977 to Question Number 319.

288.

Mr. Bruton

asked the Minister for Finance if archeological excavations carried out by or on behalf of the National Museum require an excavation licence from him.

Minister for Finance (Mr. Colley)

This matter is at present under consideration by the Commissioners of Public Works in consultation with the Director of the National Museum and the Chief State Solicitor. I will advise the Deputy of the outcome in due course.