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Clare
‘Beal Boru’ (Ballyvally td.), Co. Clare
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure
Grid Ref: R69607427 (169605/174270)
SMR No: CL 045-031
Excavation Licence: N/A
Excavation Duration/Year: 1961
Site Director: M.J. O’Kelly (University College Cork)
Beal Boru is an impressive univallate early medieval enclosure subsequently remodelled
during the Anglo-Norman period into an apparently (unfinished) motte. The site is situated on
the apex of a steep-sided spur of gravel overlooking the River Shannon and the town of
Killaloe. This position on the nose of a spur overlooking the channel afforded the inhabitants
the ability to control an important crossing point as well as the river traffic itself. The site was
excavated as part of a research dig by M.J. O’Kelly of University College Cork. Approximately
one quarter of the site was investigated over a period of ten weeks in 1961.
The recovery of two Hiberno-Scandinavian coins in sealed contexts suggest that the site was
occupied during the eleventh century. The site may have continued to be occupied into the
early-twelfth century if an entry for A.D. 1116 in the Annals of the Four Masters reporting the
destruction of the Boromha by Toirdealbhach Ua Conchobhair can be taken as applying to
this particular site. It then was abandoned for a period before the present enormous bank
and ditch was thrown up completely masking the remains of the original enclosure bank and
ditch. The overall diameter of this visible structure varies from between 70m-75m though the
actual internal space is no more than 20m in diameter as the banks are as much as 17m thick
at their base. The height of these banks varies from between 4m-6m above old ground level
while the ditch has an approximate width of 10m and depth of 1-2m.
Cuttings through the secondary Anglo-Norman period bank revealed the profiles of the
primary early medieval enclosure bank and ditch as well as a possible earlier silted up ditch
and shallow trench. This silted-up ditch which had a width of 1.6m at its top and depth of
1.4m from present field-level was not pursued and yielded no archaeological finds. The
shallow trench within the primary enclosure (width 1.5m and depth 0.35m) was also not
pursued and yielded no finds though had already silted up before the primary enclosure
deposit was laid down. One sherd of possible prehistoric coarse-textured pottery was found
below the habitation refuse of the primary enclosure, as well as a chert scraper found in
gravel forming the bottom of the secondary ditch. These artefacts suggest an earlier period
of activity on site.
The bank of the primary enclosure had an internal stone-wall revetment, and had a wooden
palisade performing the same function on the outer face. The enclosure was evidently a well
built structure with a maximum height of 2m in its western section and having a thickness of
4.8m and 5.7m along its northern and western faces respectively. Though cuttings of the
secondary ditch had removed much of the primary ditch, a short section of the original
feature was observed outside the secondary entrance and it was estimated that its width was
4.5m wide and depth 2.5m above the original ground level.
The interior of the enclosure revealed a large number of postholes, but most of these were
not able to be interpreted into any structural plan. In a number of instances, groups of
stakeholes occurred near or on both sides of burnt areas and were interpreted as supports
for the suspensions of cooking vessels over fires. Only one structure was able to be identified,
a rectangular house towards the western side of the enclosure (Fig. 48). It measured
approximately 4m by 2.5m and was defined by posts with diameters of 0.20-0.40m and
depths of 0.20-0.35m. The doorway was situated in the south-west corner and was defined
by a possible protecting porch in the form of two post holes and a well-laid paved surface.
The depth of habitation refuse stretching from the central hearth through the entrance and
connecting with an extensive rubbish dump directly outside the door was suggestive of a
relatively long period of occupation. An Hiberno-Scandinavian coin (c. A.D. 1070) was found
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