Curraghavarna and Portavolla

Area

22,488 m² (2.25 ha, 5.56 acres)

Buildings

4 buildings touch it. Their footprint covers 540 m².

Zoning

S5 Community Services/Facilities (Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective
G5 Open Space, Amenity and Recreation (Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective
C3 Enterprise and Employment (Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective

Townland

Curraghavarna and Portavolla

Planning applications on this parcel

• 2 Aug 2024Refused

  of an existing timber cabin unit (17.4 SqM) for use as a reception area for the existing permitted outdoor activities business (Pl. Ref: 17/157) and all associated site works

  Retention · Offaly County Council, 2460295

• 5 Oct 2023Refused

  an existing shop unit (17.4 SqM) & 2 No. signs thereon, an existing mobile sauna unit (4.3 SqM) and associated site works

  Retention · Offaly County Council, 2360136

• 28 Sept 2023N/a

  an existing shop unit (17.4 Sqm) & 2 No. signs thereon, an existing mobile sauna unit (4.3 Sqm) and associated site works

  Retention · Offaly County Council, 2360127

• 9 Sept 2023N/a

  Retention of an existing shop unit (17.4 SqM) & 2 No. signs thereon, an existing mobile sauna unit (4.3 SqM) and associated site works

  Retention · Offaly County Council, 2360107

• 7 Mar 2019Conditional

  CONSTRUCTION OF A TOILET/SHOWER BLOCK WITHIN THE EXISTING BUILDING, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BIN STORE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CANOPY TO REAR OF EXISTING WORKSHOP

  Permission · Offaly County Council, 1997

• 14 Feb 2018Conditional

  RENOVATION & EXTENSION OF EXISTING LAUNDRY, NEW CANTEEN & TOILETS

  Permission · Offaly County Council, 1864

• 5 May 2017Conditional

  THE ERECTION OF A SINGLE STOREY STORAGE CONTAINER TO STORE SPORTS EQUIPMENT AND OPERATE AN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY BUSINESS.

  Permission · Offaly County Council, 17157

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: River Shannon Callows SAC 000216
• Special Protection Area: Middle Shannon Callows SPA 004096
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: River Shannon Callows 000216

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 10 recorded monuments.

• OF021-003 Historic town
  Description

  The possession of the mid 16th century native Irish settlement of Banagher or Beannchor, strategically positioned on the River Shannon, was hotly contested between the Mac Coghlans, the O'Maddens and the O'Carrolls. In 1540 Felim mac Coghlan was slain by the O'Maddens following attendance at Mass, presumably in the church of Beannchor (OF021-003001-) and in 1544 Teige Caech O'Carroll in a bid to claim the settlement re-erected a castle there (AFM AD 1455, AD 1489). The settlement appears to have continued and flourished into the opening years of the 17th century as in 1610 Sir John Mac Coghlan, Chief of Delvin Mac Coghlan was granted a market. By the 1620s plans were well underway to create a plantation town at Banagher which commenced with the construction of Fort Falkland (OF021-003007-) by Sir Arthur Blundell in 1624. By 1628 it had received a charter of incorporation which established it as a borough town with rights to a weekly market and two annual fairs. A map of the town c. 1630 shows that it was defended on three sides by a linear earthwork (OF021-003008-) with a projecting bulwark towards the NE corner. The 17th century street plan was linear, the main street running in a NE-SW direction down to the River Shannon, much the same as it is today. Fort Falkland stood at the NW end of the town overlooking the river, a church (OF021-003001-) lay on the W side of the street and a number of burgage plots, the pattern of which is still distinguishable in the modern town, extended back from both sides of the street. Documentary sources with regard to the plantation settlement refer to just one house in the town - that of Sir Arthur Blundell which he built close to Fort Falkland (Loeber 1980, 133-4). Otherwise there are no ostensible remains of 17th-century dwellings in the town. There was a bridge (OF021-003009-) at Banagher by 1690 which, it has been suggested, may have been put up between 1671 and 1690 (Cooke 1875, 320-22). The present bridge dates from the 1840s and was built on the site of a mid 18th century predecessor (Bradley 1986, 12-19). Archaeological trial trenching carried out by H. King in 1992 on the site of the extension to the Garda Station on Harbour Street revealed no archaeological features or any evidence of an archaeological activity on the footprint of this development. Archaeological monitoring of the sewerage works by Jacinta Kiely in Banagher was undertaken in 1997 under licence no. 97E0444 as previously reported (Excavations 1997, 146-7). The trenches varied from 1m to 2m wide and from 1.5m to 3.5m deep. No archaeological stratigraphy, features or artefacts were recorded from the trenches on Cuba Avenue, Lusmagh Road, the area of the Marina, Crank Road or Main Street, or the areas of the pumping stations. A limestone wall, recorded in the manhole K1, and the return of a wall, recorded in the sewer trench between N4 and N3, were uncovered in the area of the Constabulary Barracks. It is possible that these walls were associated with the 17th-century fort. A ditch, 4m wide and 1.5m deep, was recorded in the rising-main trench between B3 (Main Street) and the Crank Road. Four fills were recorded in the ditch. No artefacts were recovered. The ditch may be the 17th-century town earthworks. It lies 15m south-west of the line of the town defences as proposed by the Urban Archaeological Survey of County Offaly. According to a plantation map of the town, which dates to c. 1629, the town was defended on three sides by an earthwork, linear in plan except to the north-east, where there was a projecting bulwark. No evidence of the earthwork was recorded in the area of M8, east of the Marina Pumping Station. A stone wall running N-S which forms the rear boundary of the hotel in Banagher may have been built on the line of the town defences. The site was in the centre of Banagher, to the east of Main Street, facing south onto Harbour Street. The development consisted of a cinema built in the 1950s that was in use for furniture storage and was to be redeveloped into a two-storey, seven-apartment block. The plans were changed during construction: the building was demolished, and a new building was constructed on the original footprint. Dúchas requested that a photographic survey be carried out, after being notified that the building had been a cinema. Monitoring was carried out in 2002 under licence no. 02E0250 on five service and wall-foundation trenches. The trenches had an average depth of 0.35m and a maximum depth of 1.4m. The main stratum of interest was a layer of garden soil found in all of the trenches. This was the remains of human activity from the 19th century at the rear of properties fronting onto Harbour Street and Main Street. Stuart Elder, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, 9 Riveroaks, Riverstown, Birr, Co. Offaly. Archaeological testing under licence no 03E1538 was carried out at Harbour Rd. in advance of the construction of several townhouses. Nothing of archaeological interest was identified (Excavations Bulletin 2003). Brian O'Donnchadha, 7 Pollnarooma West, Knocknacarra, Galway. Archaeological testing was carried out under licence no. 03E1541 with regard to a planning application for a three-storey-over-basement building to the rear of the Shannon Hotel, Banagher, Co. Offaly, which is listed as a protected structure. Eight trenches were mechanically opened. Testing uncovered sod, garden soil and natural subsoil in each of the trenches. There was a variation in terms of the amount of modern rubbish and 18th- and 19th-century material found within each layer and between trenches, but this is consistent with what one might expect to find in the well-used back gardens of a 19th-century building like the hotel. There was no evidence of earlier activity that would be impacted upon by the proposed development (Excavations Bulletin 2003). Daniel Noonan, The Archaeology Company, Birr Technology Centre, Mill Island, Birr, Co. Offaly. Pre-development testing was carried out by Ellen O'Carroll of The Archaeology Company under licence no. 05E0282 at a proposed development site at the rear of O'Flynn's Supervalu, Banagher, Co. Offaly. Four trenches were excavated by two machines. No archaeological material was in evidence. Ellen O'Carroll, The Archaeology Company, 17 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin. Test-trenches were excavated by Kieran Campbell under licence no. 05E1212 on a 65m by 20m development site comprising two long garden plots at the rear of existing dwellings on the east side of Main Street, Banagher, c. 100m south-east of the Market Square (Curraghavarna and Portavolla). There was a difference in level of c. 0.3m between the two gardens, reflecting the natural north-west-facing slope in the ground. Eight test-trenches revealed a uniform stratigraphy of old garden soil over natural subsoil, with no archaeological features or deposits observed. The few finds of crockery and glass were of late 19th- and 20th-century date. The exception was a sherd from a large post-medieval earthenware bowl with a date range of 17th- to early 19th-century. The sherd, of sandy fabric with an internal pale-green glaze, is different from the ware produced in the pottery kiln (OF021-003006-) in nearby Church Street, excavated by the writer in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1379, 04E0854), but is probably also of Irish origin. Kieran Campbell, 6 St Ultan's, Laytown, Co. Meath. Monitoring took place by Kieran Campbell under licence no. 05E0559 during riverbank excavations associated with the installation of new jetties at Silverline Cruisers, Banagher, located in the townland of Curraghavarna and Portavolla. The marinas are constructed partly on the former site of Banagher railway station, the terminus of the 18-mile Clara to Banagher branch line of the Great Southern and Western Railway, which opened in 1861 and closed on 1 January 1963. The marinas were originally constructed in the 1970s, when material dredged from the riverbed was sprea

• OF021-003001 Church
  Description

  Late medieval rectangular church (ext. dims. 17m E-W; 7.55m N-S; wall T 0.7m) located on top of high ground in centre of graveyard (OF021-003002-) enclosed by 19th-century wall. Church has undergone many alterations with addition of bellcote on W gable, insertion of burial vault into W end of church in the 19th-century. Blocked up window in W wall, partially destroyed window at E end of N wall and large pointed E window with brick arch of probable 19th-century date. 16th-century graveslab (OF021-003003-) with floriated cross carved in false relief with roman inscription down both sides located inside the church at the E end. Dedicated to John Coghlan who died in 1590 although the graveslab was carved in 1576, according to the inscription on the slab. Shaft of high cross (OF021-003004-) of 9th-century date removed from churchyard in the 19th-century and now located in the National Museum. Possible holy well (OF021-003005-) which later became town well was located in the market square situated outside the front gates of the graveyard. (Cooke 1875, 315-23; Monahan 1886, 365-9; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 3-6) In 2006 archaeological testing was carried out by Kieran Campbell under licence no. 06E0346. The development site (NGR 200930/215390) is situated on the west side of Main Street, Banagher, c. 60m north of Market Square and adjoining the north wall of the graveyard of the late medieval St Rynagh’s Church. The graveyard is 2–3m higher than the level of the site and is separated from it by a retaining wall. Testing took place in November 2006 following demolition of the existing building, formerly a toyshop, which had the appearance of a 19th-century structure and was originally divided into three small houses. The new shop was to be built on the footprint of the old, with dimensions of 10.1m by 12m. A series of test-pits and trenches excavated by mini-digger uncovered the surface of natural sand, which was nowhere deeper than 0.2m under a thin deposit of yellow/brown clay, with brick fragments below the concrete floor of the demolished shop (Bennett 2009, 448). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload/revsion: 7 November 2011

• OF021-003002 Graveyard
  Description

  Late medieval rectangular church (OF021-003001-) located on top of high ground in centre of graveyard enclosed by 19th-century wall. Church has undergone many alterations with addition of bellcote on W gable, insertion of burial vault into W end of church in the 19th-century. Blocked up window in W wall, partially destroyed window at E end of N wall and large pointed E window with brick arch of probable 19th-century date. 16th-century graveslab (OF021-003003-) with floriated cross carved in false relief with roman inscription down both sides located inside the church at the E end. Dedicated to John Coghlan who died in 1590 although the graveslab was carved in 1576, according to the inscription on the slab. Shaft of high cross (OF021-003004-) of 9th-century date removed from churchyard in the 19th-century and now located in the National Museum. Possible holy well (OF021-003005-) which later became town well was located in the market square situated outside the front gates of the graveyard. (Cooke 1875, 315-23; Monahan 1886, 365-9; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 3-6) In 2006 archaeological testing was carried out by Kieran Campbell under licence no. 06E0346. The development site (NGR 200930/215390) is situated on the west side of Main Street, Banagher, c. 60m north of Market Square and adjoining the north wall of the graveyard of the late medieval St Rynagh’s Church. The graveyard is 2–3m higher than the level of the site and is separated from it by a retaining wall. Testing took place in November 2006 following demolition of the existing building, formerly a toyshop, which had the appearance of a 19th-century structure and was originally divided into three small houses. The new shop was to be built on the footprint of the old, with dimensions of 10.1m by 12m. A series of test-pits and trenches excavated by mini-digger uncovered the surface of natural sand, which was nowhere deeper than 0.2m under a thin deposit of yellow/brown clay, with brick fragments below the concrete floor of the demolished shop (Bennett 2009, 448). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload/revision: 7 November 2011

• OF021-003003 Graveslab
  Description

  Late medieval rectangular church (OF021-003001-) located on top of high ground in centre of graveyard (OF021-003002-) enclosed by 19th-century wall. Church has undergone many alterations with addition of bellcote on W gable, insertion of burial vault into W end of church in the 19th-century. Blocked up window in W wall, partially destroyed window at E end of N wall and large pointed E window with brick arch of probable 19th-century date. 16th-century graveslab (1.6m by 0.64m by 0.13m) with floriated cross carved in false relief with roman inscription down both sides located inside the church at the E end. Dedicated to John Coghlan who died in 1590 although the graveslab was carved in 1576, according to the inscription on the slab. Shaft of high cross (OF021-003004-) of 9th-century date removed from churchyard in the 19th-century and now located in the National Museum. Possible holy well (OF021-003005-) which later became town well was located in the market square situated outside the front gates of the graveyard. (Cooke 1875, 315-23; Monahan 1886, 365-9; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 3-6) Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF021-003004 Cross - High cross
  Description

  Late medieval rectangular church (OF021-003001-) located on top of high ground in centre of graveyard (OF021-003002-) enclosed by 19th-century wall. Church has undergone many alterations with addition of bellcote on W gable, insertion of burial vault into W end of church in the 19th-century. Blocked up window in W wall, partially destroyed window at E end of N wall and large pointed E window with brick arch of probable 19th-century date. 16th-century graveslab (OF021-003003-) with floriated cross carved in false relief with roman inscription down both sides located inside the church at the E end. Dedicated to John Coghlan who died in 1590 although the graveslab was carved in 1576, according to the inscription on the slab. Shaft of high cross of 9th-century date removed from churchyard in the 19th-century and now located in the National Museum. Possible holy well (OF021-003005-) which later became town well was located in the market square situated outside the front gates of the graveyard. (Cooke 1875, 315-23; Monahan 1886, 365-9; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 3-6) Described by Harbison (1992, vol. 1, 25-6) as following: 'A cross-shaft of sandstone which originally stood at Banagher, Co. Offaly, was removed by Cooke around the middle of the last century (1800's). After his death, it was moved to Clonmacnois around 1870, and to the National Museum in Dublin in 1929, where it is now on display with the inventory number 1929:1497. It is 1.47m tall, and its tapering faces and sides have maximum dimensions of 40cm and 19cm respectively. All the corners have small roll moulding, and the panels-which are all of different sizes-are also framed by similar moulding. Damage to the two top side panels was probably caused by a secondary attempt to add a ring. A shallow mortise-hole on top is probably secondary also. FACE 1 : Panel 1 : Emerging from a single-strand interlace between two animals with backward-turning heads at the bottom of the panel is a two-strand interlace. The top of this interlace coalesces with two figures in profile. The right hand of the left-hand figure grasps the other's left wrist, and their respective other hands seem to touch. The two figures - with their spiky noses - have hair which forms an interlace between their heads. Panel 2 : A crouching lion with protruding tongue and with its tail between its legs. There is a three-point interlace in the upper left-hand corner and another very irregular, interlace above the lion's back. Panel 3 : A two-strand interlace. SIDE 1 : Panel 1 : two animals one above the other, enmeshed in a narrow band of interlace. The tail of the upper animal terminates in a triangular shape in the centre of the panel. Panel 2 : A single-strand interlace. Panel 3 : Interlinking C-shaped spirals forming pelta-shapes, terminating in two outward-turning spirals at the top. Panel 4 : A damage coiled animal (head missing) with a fish-like tail. Face 2 Panel 1 : A human interlace with the legs intertwined at the centre and the bodies radiating outwards to the corners. A narrow ribbon winds its way around the arms of the four human figures. Panel 2 : A deer with its front right leg caught in a rectangular trap. Panel 3 : A horseman, with hair flat on top and falling to a curl behind, holds a crozier in his right hand which emerges from the folds of his cape-like garment. He has no stirrups, and his legs are placed well forward as the horse prances proudly to the right. Above is a partially-damaged prancing lion with protruding rongue, also facing towards the right. Its tail rises behind, and terminates in two leaf-like shapes. SIDE 2 : Panel 1 : A tall panel bearing interlace of various kinds which terminate in animal-heads with rope-like necks and ear-lappets, and with their mouths biting the interlace. Panel 2 : Very similar to panel 3 on side 1. Panel 3 : Interlace terminating below in animal-heads which bite the interlace. A broad groove at the top suggests that a ring may have been inserted secondarily to support the arms of a cross'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF021-003005 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Late medieval rectangular church (OF021-003001-) located on top of high ground in centre of graveyard enclosed by 19th-century wall. Church has undergone many alterations with addition of bellcote on W gable, insertion of burial vault into W end of church in the 19th-century. Blocked up window in W wall, partially destroyed window at E end of N wall and large pointed E window with brick arch of probable 19th-century date. 16th-century graveslab (OF021-003003-) (1.6m by 0.64m by 0.13m) with floriated cross carved in false relief with roman inscription down both sides located inside the church at the E end. Dedicated to John Coghlan who died in 1590 although the graveslab was carved in 1576, according to the inscription on the slab. Shaft of high cross (OF021-003004-) of 9th-century date removed from churchyard in the 19th-century and now located in the National Museum. Possible holy well which later became town well was located in the market square situated outside the front gates of the graveyard. (Cooke 1875, 315-23; Monahan 1886, 365-9; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 3-6) Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF021-003006 Kiln - pottery
  Description

  Site of post-medieval pottey kiln was revealed when houses were being rebuilt in the town of Banagher in 2004. This site was recorded and excavated by Kieran Campbell under excavation licence no. 04E0854. On 2 May 2004, on a visit to the old St Rynagh's Church, in Church Street, Banagher, evidence for a pottery kiln was observed on a building site adjacent to the graveyard. A brick flue was visible in a section face and numerous sherds of pottery were noted on a mound of topsoil stockpiled beside the graveyard wall and in the surface of the old garden soil. With the permission of the contractor, the remains of a multi-flued up-draught kiln were excavated over the Bank Holiday weekend, 4-6 June 2004, by the writer and Coilin O Drisceoil. The kiln was situated on a building site between Church Street and the south wall of the graveyard (OF021-003002-) around St Rynagh's Church (OF021-003001-). While the church ruins are believed to be of late medieval construction, Bradley identifies the site as the Early Christian church of Cill Righnaighe, on the basis of late medieval historical references. Working back from the flue exposed in the section face, the full extent of the kiln was uncovered in a 3m by 1.9m cutting. Fortuitously, the groundworks for the development had clipped the southern edge of the kiln, removing only the outer edge of the furnace wall and the end of one of the flues. The kiln was constructed on the surface of natural sand and was approximately circular, with an overall diameter of c. 2.4m and surviving maximum height of 0.26m. The outer wall, 0.6m wide, was built of limestone boulders and clay, with an internal lining of brick forming the oven or firing chamber, 1.2m in diameter. The brick lining, one brick thick, survived to a maximum of three bricks high (0.25m). The centre of the oven was occupied by a plinth or pedestal, 0.9m in diameter, built of clay and edged with one to two courses of brick, which would have formed the base of the oven during firing. Three brick-built flues, evenly spaced in the circuit of the outer wall, led into a penannular channel, 0.12-0.17m wide, around the pedestal. The channel and three flues were filled with a loose deposit of burnt clay and over-fired sherds representing the residue of the last firings. On the west side, the pedestal reached to the wall of the oven, beside a fourth flue set at a slightly higher level. The texture of the charcoal in the flues suggests that peat may have been used as fuel, rather than wood or coal. The bricks used in the kiln were handmade and none was complete. Most conformed to 'half-brick' size and measured 100-110mm wide, 70-80mm thick and up to 175mm long. The bricks were bonded with clay, which was usually oxidised to the same colour and texture as the bricks. The fill of a pit excavated into the western edge of the kiln, beside Flue 023, included a 60mm-thick layer of offcuts of window glass, including many 'bull's eyes', but there was no evidence that glass was made on the site. The pit contained some sherds as found in the kiln, but also one sherd of imported plain white-glazed earthenware of probable 19th-century date. The total number of sherds recovered was c. 2700 (137kg). The pottery is glazed earthenware, fired to various colours from off-white to dark grey, but most commonly to a light-reddish-brown colour. The predominant forms are 'storage jars' and deep straight-sided bowls, most internally glazed and some with handles. There are smaller numbers of jugs, flanged dishes, pipkins, flowerpots and roof ridge tiles. Several small handles, most found in the kiln itself, are possibly from cups or tygs. Decoration is limited to one dish rim with applied 'wavy-line' slip decoration and three dish rims with 'piecrust' edges. There is one possible fragment of a saggar, a vessel used to hold wares during firing. This has a characteristic deposit of glaze and pottery chips on its internal base. Of the many bases, this is the only one that is string-cut on the underside. No other examples of kiln furniture were noted. The kiln is provisionally dated to the early 19th century, based on contemporary descriptions of kilns elsewhere in Ireland and on the few non-local sherds recovered, although these were not from especially useful contexts. Kieran Campbell, 6 St Ultan's, Laytown, Drogheda. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF021-003007 Bastioned fort
  Description

  The possession of the mid 16th century native Irish settlement of Banagher or Beannchor, strategically positioned on the River Shannon, was hotly contested between the Mac Coghlans, the O'Maddens and the O'Carrolls. In 1540 Felim mac Coghlan was slain by the O'Maddens following attendance at Mass, presumably in the church of Beannchor (OF021-003001-) and in 1544 Teige Caech O'Carroll in a bid to claim the settlement re-erected a castle there (AFM AD 1455, AD 1489). The settlement appears to have continued and flourished into the opening years of the 17th century as in 1610 Sir John Mac Coghlan, Chief of Delvin Mac Coghlan was granted a market. By the 1620s plans were well underway to create a plantation town at Banagher which commenced with the construction of Fort Falkland (OF021-003007-) by Sir Arthur Blundell in 1624. By 1628 it had received a charter of incorporation which established it as a borough town with rights to a weekly market and two annual fairs. A map of the town c. 1630 shows that it was defended on three sides by a linear earthwork (OF021-003008-) with a projecting bulwark towards the NE corner. The 17th century street plan was linear, the main street running in a NE-SW direction down to the River Shannon, much the same as it is today. Fort Falkland stood at the NW end of the town overlooking the river, a church (OF021-003001-) lay on the W side of the street and a number of burgage plots, the pattern of which is still distinguishable in the modern town, extended back from both sides of the street. Documentary sources with regard to the plantation settlement refer to just one house in the town - that of Sir Arthur Blundell which he built close to Fort Falkland (Loeber 1980, 133-4). Otherwise there are no ostensible remains of 17th-century dwellings in the town. There was a bridge (OF021-003009-) at Banagher by 1690 which, it has been suggested, may have been put up between 1671 and 1690 (Cooke 1875, 320-22). The present bridge dates from the 1840s and was built on the site of a mid 18th century predecessor (Bradley 1986, 12-19). No surface trace visible of plantation castle erected in 1621 (Russell and Prendergast 1880, 333). A contemporary drawing of the fort, drawn by Nicholas Pynnar in 1624 shows it as consisting of a large rectangular enclosure with a circular tower at one corner and a twin bastioned gatehouse on the opposite side (Bradley 1986). In 1990 three test pits were excavated to a depth of 1m by Beth Cassidy for ADS Ltd under licence no. 90E0010 within the barracks at Banagher. No traces of the earlier fortification were uncovered in the test pits. Archaeological monitoring of the sewerage works by Jacinta Kiely in Banagher was undertaken in 1997 under licence no. 97E0444 as previously reported (Excavations 1997, 146-7). The trenches varied from 1m to 2m wide and from 1.5m to 3.5m deep. No archaeological stratigraphy, features or artefacts were recorded from the trenches on Cuba Avenue, Lusmagh Road, the area of the Marina, Crank Road or Main Street, or the areas of the pumping stations. A limestone wall, recorded in the manhole K1 at a depth of 1.5m below ground level, and the return of a wall, recorded in the sewer trench between N4 and N3 at a depth of 0.7m below ground level, were uncovered in the area of the Constabulary Barracks. It is possible that these walls were associated with the 17th-century fort. In 1998 Jim Higgins carried out archaeological testing under licence no. 98E0097. The fort, and later Royal Irish Constabulary barracks in which it is incorporated, has a long history. It was the site of the early 17th-century Fort Falkland and was used for many centuries as a military barracks. The fort was built in 1624. It was extensively remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries, probably most extensively in 1807. The towers depicted on 17th-century maps are still extant, and these extend beneath the present front wall of the barracks. Further walls were found within the fort; one may also be of 17th-century date, while the other may be later. Some of the buildings that survive overground seem to be of late medieval date, others post-date 1807. Recent archaeological monitoring of pipelines by Ken Ryan has shown that further 17th-century walls occur outside the middle of the front and outside the north-north-east corner of the barracks. This licence was first held by Dominic Delaney and was transferred to this writer, who carried out test excavations in June 1998. The developer wished to build thirteen holiday homes within the fort. An archaeological impact statement involving test-trenching was requested by the NMHPS. Planning permission was refused, and the applicant, before reapplying, at the request of Offaly County Council engaged an archaeologist to have test-trenching carried out. Previous test-trenching, in which no trace of the earlier fort had been found, was undertaken at the site by Beth Cassidy in 1990 (Excavations 1990, 50). The current excavation, using a mechanical digger, established that a substantial number of walls occur within the fort. In Trench 4 Wall I is over 1m thick and may be late medieval. Two further wall segments are flimsier and may relate to walling that formed part of an L-shaped building shown as extant on the 1909 map. In Trenches 5 and 5A the foundations of a partially extant rectangular building were outlined. It may be pre-18th century. In Trench 3A the footings of another wall (III), which does not appear on the 1909 map, were noted. This may be of late medieval date, and its footings may be extensive. It was sealed below 19th-century cobbling. The walls of a massive gate-tower of 17th-century date was found in Trenches 6-8. This tower may be one of the pair of D-shaped bastions shown on a depiction of Fort Falkland by Nicholas Pynnar, dated 1624 (British Library Add. MS 24200). This shows a pair of towers flanking a round-headed gateway. The towers have square backs and rounded fronts and seem to relate to portions of the fort shown on two depictions of 1624. One of the towers found matches the features shown on the Pynnar drawing fairly well. The walling is 1.7-1.8m thick in places, and the rendered exterior of one curved bastion was clearly visible on excavation. The base of the tower had a steep base-batter. The tower runs beneath the present front wall of the barracks. Part of the rendered wall of this or a related feature has also been found in monitoring by Ken Ryan of pipe-laying . Trenches 6-8 were not cut to great depth, but enough was uncovered to show that the plan of one of the gate-towers can be completely recovered. The other tower is likely to remain beneath the ground, which seems to have been raised deliberately in the 18th or 19th centuries, probably with the refortification of the site in c. 1807. A large lump of late medieval masonry also projects from beneath the south-east wall of the site, and this too may be of 17th-century date. It lies in the yard of the nearby Vine House pub and restaurant. It is clear even from preliminary archaeological testing that substantial remains of the early 17th-century fort, its internal buildings as well as its D-shaped towers, exist. Further excavation would reveal more traces of the early plantation fortress. A 19th-century pump set into a subcircular well structure accessible beneath ground by a series of steps was also uncovered in Trenches 6 and 7. This may lie above the site of an earlier well, but it was not excavated to any depth. The upper fill contained 19th- and early 20th-century material. A stone trough and 19th-century cobbling occur near the centre of the site, and the outlines of many of the later buildings are still marked by walls or portions of walls, as well as partly destroyed cobbled, concrete and other flooring of Liscannor stone. Evidence of the destruction of the fort (or part of it) by fire in the 1920s was seen in Trench 3, where a burnt floor and scorching of the walls was visible.

• OF021-003008 Town defences
  Description

  The possession of the mid 16th century native Irish settlement of Banagher or Beannchor, strategically positioned on the River Shannon, was hotly contested between the Mac Coghlans, the O'Maddens and the O'Carrolls. In 1540 Felim mac Coghlan was slain by the O'Maddens following attendance at Mass, presumably in the church of Beannchor (OF021-003001-) and in 1544 Teige Caech O'Carroll in a bid to claim the settlement re-erected a castle there (AFM AD 1455, AD 1489). The settlement appears to have continued and flourished into the opening years of the 17th century as in 1610 Sir John Mac Coghlan, Chief of Delvin Mac Coghlan was granted a market. By the 1620s plans were well underway to create a plantation town at Banagher which commenced with the construction of Fort Falkland (OF021-003007-) by Sir Arthur Blundell in 1624. By 1628 it had received a charter of incorporation which established it as a borough town with rights to a weekly market and two annual fairs. A map of the town c. 1630 shows that it was defended on three sides by a linear earthwork (OF021-003008-) with a projecting bulwark towards the NE corner. The 17th century street plan was linear, the main street running in a NE-SW direction down to the River Shannon, much the same as it is today. Fort Falkland stood at the NW end of the town overlooking the river, a church (OF021-003001-) lay on the W side of the street and a number of burgage plots, the pattern of which is still distinguishable in the modern town, extended back from both sides of the street. Documentary sources with regard to the plantation settlement refer to just one house in the town - that of Sir Arthur Blundell which he built close to Fort Falkland (Loeber 1980, 133-4). Otherwise there are no ostensible remains of 17th-century dwellings in the town. There was a bridge (OF021-003009-) at Banagher by 1690 which, it has been suggested, may have been put up between 1671 and 1690 (Cooke 1875, 320-22). The present bridge dates from the 1840s and was built on the site of a mid 18th century predecessor (Bradley 1986, 12-19). Archaeological monitoring of the sewerage works by Jacinta Kiely in Banagher was undertaken in 1997 under licence no. 97E0444 as previously reported (Excavations 1997, 146-7). The trenches varied from 1m to 2m wide and from 1.5m to 3.5m deep. No archaeological stratigraphy, features or artefacts were recorded from the trenches on Cuba Avenue, Lusmagh Road, the area of the Marina, Crank Road or Main Street, or the areas of the pumping stations. A limestone wall, recorded in the manhole K1 at a depth of 1.5m below present ground level, and the return of a wall, recorded in the sewer trench between N4 and N3 at a depth of 0.7m below ground level, were uncovered in the area of the Constabulary Barracks. It is possible that these walls were associated with the 17th-century fort (OF021-003007-). A ditch, 4m wide and 1.5m deep, was recorded in the rising-main trench between B3 (Main Street) and the Crank Road. Four fills were recorded in the ditch. No artefacts were recovered. The ditch may be the 17th-century town earthworks. It lies 15m south-west of the line of the town defences as proposed by the Urban Archaeological Survey of County Offaly. A stone wall running N-S which forms the rear boundary of the hotel in Banagher may have been built on the line of the town defences. According to a plantation map of the town, which dates to c. 1629, the town was defended on three sides by an earthwork, linear in plan except to the north-east, where there was a projecting bulwark. No evidence of the earthwork was recorded in the area of M8, east of the Marina Pumping Station. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

• OF021-003010 Castle - unclassified
  Description

  The precise location of the medieval castle of Banagher has not been identified. The high ivy-covered perimeter wall of the abandoned Royal Irish Constabulary barracks measuring internally 42m E-W by 36m N-S was built on the site of the 17th century fortification known as Fort Falkland (OF021-003007-) which in turn may have been built on the site of the 16th century O’Carroll castle known as Banagher Castle. Fort Falkland may also have incorporated the fabric of a 13th century Anglo-Norman castle built by Richard Tuite (MacCuarta 1987, 157). In 1624 as part of the 17th century Plantation of Delvin MacCoghlan a new fortification known as Fort Falkland was built on the banks of the River Shannon at Banagher near the site of the earlier medieval castle. Fort Falkland (OF021-003007-) stands on the S bank of River Shannon at the NW end of Banagher town. The O’Carrolls appear to have re-fortified the Anglo-Norman castle site in 1544 when the Annals recorded that ‘The castle of Banagher was re-erected by O'Carroll (Teige Caech), in despite of the Clann-Colman and the O'Maddens, for they were at strife with each other’ (AFM, 1489). Four years later in 1548 the Annals recorded that, ‘The castles of Ely and Delvin were demolished through fear of the English, namely, Banagher, the castle of Magh-Istean [Moystown], and Clochan-na-gceapach [Cloghan]’ (AFM 1511). The settlement at Banagher appears to have continued and flourished into the opening years of the 17th century as in 1610 Sir John Mac Coghlan, Chief of Delvin Mac Coghlan was granted a market. By the 1620s plans were well underway to create a plantation town at Banagher which commenced with the construction of Fort Falkland (OF021-003007-) by Sir Arthur Blundell in 1624. Fort Falkland stood at the NW end of the town overlooking the river, a church (OF021-003001-) lay on the W side of the street and a number of burgage plots, the pattern of which is still distinguishable in the modern town, extended back from both sides of the street. Documentary sources with regard to the plantation settlement refer to just one house in the town - that of Sir Arthur Blundell which he built close to Fort Falkland (Loeber 1980, 133-4). There was a bridge (OF021-003009-) at Banagher by 1690 which, it has been suggested, may have been put up between 1671 and 1690 (Cooke 1875, 320-22). The present bridge dates from the 1840s and was built on the site of a mid 18th century predecessor (Bradley 1986, 12-19). Archaeological monitoring of the sewerage works by Jacinta Kiely in Banagher was undertaken in 1997 under licence no. 97E0444 as previously reported (Excavations 1997, 146-7). The trenches varied from 1m to 2m wide and from 1.5m to 3.5m deep. No archaeological stratigraphy, features or artefacts were recorded from the trenches on Cuba Avenue, Lusmagh Road, the area of the Marina, Crank Road or Main Street, or the areas of the pumping stations. A limestone wall, recorded in the manhole K1, and the return of a wall, recorded in the sewer trench between N4 and N3, were uncovered in the area of the Constabulary Barracks. It is possible that these walls were associated with the 17th-century fort. A ditch, 4m wide and 1.5m deep, was recorded in the rising-main trench between B3 (Main Street) and the Crank Road. Four fills were recorded in the ditch. No artefacts were recovered. The ditch may be the 17th-century town earthworks. It lies 15m south-west of the line of the town defences as proposed by the Urban Archaeological Survey of County Offaly. According to a plantation map of the town, which dates to c. 1629, the town was defended on three sides by an earthwork, linear in plan except to the north-east, where there was a projecting bulwark. No evidence of the earthwork was recorded in the area of M8, east of the Marina Pumping Station. A stone wall running N-S which forms the rear boundary of the hotel in Banagher may have been built on the line of the town defences. The site was in the centre of Banagher, to the east of Main Street, facing south onto Harbour Street. The development consisted of a cinema built in the 1950s that was in use for furniture storage and was to be redeveloped into a two-storey, seven-apartment block. The plans were changed during construction: the building was demolished, and a new building was constructed on the original footprint. Dúchas requested that a photographic survey be carried out, after being notified that the building had been a cinema. Monitoring was carried out in 2002 under licence no. 02E0250 on five service and wall-foundation trenches. The trenches had an average depth of 0.35m and a maximum depth of 1.4m. The main stratum of interest was a layer of garden soil found in all of the trenches. This was the remains of human activity from the 19th century at the rear of properties fronting onto Harbour Street and Main Street. Stuart Elder, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, 9 Riveroaks, Riverstown, Birr, Co. Offaly. 05D032, 05R036 Underwater assessment by Rex Bangerter took place under dive licence no. 05D032, 05R036 of a 150m stretch of the River Shannon, downstream of Banagher Bridge, prior to the redevelopment of a 19th-century mill complex on the southern side of the river. The development is located partially within the zone of archaeological potential established around the town of Banagher. A 19th-century gun battery (SMR 21:1) is located on the northern bank of the Shannon, in line with the mill complex. Further structures of architectural and historic importance include the mill site itself and the former Constabulary Barracks, dating from the 18th century and located across the south-eastern corner of the development. This structure is believed to be located on the site of a 17th-century fort, known as Fort Falkland. In addition, c. 5m downstream of the existing Banagher Bridge lie the remains of an earlier bridge structure, depicted on the first-edition OS 6-inch map and marked on Hermon Moll's 1714 map of Ireland. Despite the extensive historic activity located on either side of the Shannon at this location, the systematic visual inspection and magnetometer survey of the riverbed and attendant southern bank/quayside did not reveal any archaeologically significant material/features within the immediate impact area. Rex Bangerter, The Archaeological Diving Company Ltd, Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny. 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. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 May 2017

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Ground and risks

Radon

At the centre of this parcel, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low, partly inferred. Parts of the land are water.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_1556 (ZIP).

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Download this parcel as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program. GeoJSON, in WGS 84, suits a map, and KML opens in Google Earth.

Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.