Enfield Little Library

Enfield, in County Meath is where some friends of mine are living. While visiting them, we went for a walk and had some hot chocolate in the cafe. On the way back, we paused at the cutest little art installation – named the “littlest library”.

Enfield little free library

Basically it’s two cabinets up on posts which look like giant bird houses. You open the glass fronted cabinet and inside are books for children and adults (depending on which cabinet). They’re free to “borrow” and return and it’s based on the honesty principle.

Hanukkah 2015 with the Warners

It’s is located across from Dixons on Main Street, and they have a website at:

https://www.facebook.com/LFLEnfield/

and it’s open 7 days a week from dawn till dusk! We open at around 9AM and close at 19:00 PM.

If you’re in town – it’s worth checking out and trading some books. Also – what a great idea for other small communities out there!

Share

Swords Castle – Digging up History (part 2)

Yesterday, I told you a bit about Swords Castle, digging on day 1. Basically, this fortified house / castle is undergoing a series of 2 week long community participation Archaeological digs supervised by Fingal Community Archaeologist: Christine Baker. You can find out more about when they are held and participate yourself much like I did for two days:

http://www.fingal.ie/planning-and-buildings/heritage-in-fingal/swordscastledigginghistory/

The archaeology is in preparation for renovations to be held on the site (some of the modern buildings along the street are to be pulled down) and to allow for further discovery and historical preservation of the location. I decided to join the dig for 2 days and was placed into the third trench.

While Day one was hard going with the digging (hard dry ground – despite the cool temperatures), it rained over night. For Day two this was a mixed blessing. This meant that the soil was softer to dig – but much more muddy and messy. Not fearing the mud, we began tackling the trench and removing layers of soil with picks and shovels. Then, it started to rain. Everyone was quite determined, and kept on plugging away at the trench – having donned rain gear

Digging Swords Castle 8.23.2015

We continued until lunch, when the heaviest of downpours started. I ate lunch, then went on to explore the Constable’s building which was open and dry inside.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

The constable’s building (above) was redone in 1995-1998. They basically put a wooden roof on the building and restored it to the expansions that the Dutch settlers to the castle put in in the 1500’s. The ground floor is all set for storage of food, wine and other goods. If you open the door with it’s massive hinges and go up the circular staircase to the first floor

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Massive hinges

You enter into the living quarters. Here you will find a huge oaken door with a wooden timber that is embedded into the wall – and could be locked in place for security in case of invasion.
Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

There’s a huge fireplace with metal braziers with horned dragons:

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

If you go up again, there’s another fireplace, and a welcoming benched table next to stained glass windows, and above you there’s a gorgeous wooden ceiling with a carved animal type chandelier.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

There’s also the Privvy / Guardrobe area (where one would hang the clothes for airing out the lice). One funny thing to note about the Privvy – is that it’s quite set to recline – and that there’s an angled hole (you can’t see in or out) to allow for sound to carry through so conversations / meetings could still continue while they were doing their business.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

After lunch the rain continued. Trench 1 had digging halted – they had discovered a wall, but the depth of it (over 5 feet deep) was making it unsafe in the rain.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Trench two where a flag stone floor was discovered was cleaned up and logged:

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Trench 3 still had digging continue, but because I didn’t have great footwear – I opted to go under the tent and started cleaning our finds with water, toothbrushes, small dental picks, and the like.

Digging Swords Castle 8.23.2015

A few more finds from the site:

Digging Swords Castle 8.23.2015
An old pipe

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Wall plaster

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Pottery from the 1400’s – not fully baked

By the end of the day – I had to laugh. Two of the “mudlark” archaeologists who stayed out in the weather came in for a well deserved hot cup of tea – and I had to snap a picture… Digging the castle isn’t for the weak.

Digging Swords Castle 8.23.2015

I’m looking forward to more excavations in the summer, and you can follow the discoveries and finds on their facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=swords%20castle%3A%20digging%20history

Share

Swords Castle – Digging up History (part 1)

Irish National Heritage Week - volunteering to dig Swords Castle Archeology. Despite the hard work and rain, we had lots of fun and interesting finds so far. Volunteers over 18 needed through September 11. #swordscastle #archaeological #archaeology #excav

Technically, Swords Castle isn’t a castle. It’s a fortified house which once belonged to the first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, John Comyn, and was built around 1200. The “castle” underwent a few different iterations, first as a wooden palisade and then a stone structure. It’s interesting because the “palace” did house the archbishop’s own knights, a separate tower for the Constable (who was responsible for the day to day running of the location – as the Archbishop mostly came in Summer or on through trips), and had a banqueting hall to the right (now a ruin) and a multi story chapel (once located where the one story chapel from the 13th century is today). The site not only held regular “judicial” practices for the region but also held an ecclesiastical court.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

After Robert The Bruce came through Ireland in 1317, parts of the fortified house / palace began falling in disrepair. Use of other parts of the site, however, continued until the 15th century as there are records of retired archbishops being stationed here. Eventually, the castle was sold on to a family and used as parts of orchards.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Today, the castle is undergoing a series of 2 week long community participation Archaeological digs supervised by Fingal Community Archaeologist: Christine Baker. You can find out more about when they are held and participate yourself much like I did for two days:

http://www.fingal.ie/planning-and-buildings/heritage-in-fingal/swordscastledigginghistory/

The archaeology is in preparation for renovations to be held on the site (some of the modern buildings along the street are to be pulled down) and to allow for further discovery and historical preservation of the location. I decided to join the dig for 2 days and was placed into the third trench. There were two other trenches –

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Trench 1: looking for the remains of the great hall

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Trench 2: Looking for the edges of the chapel, and a middle ages floor

The map below might help give an idea of the layout:

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

Starting out, Trench 3 it was dry, cool, and decent weather. Stephen, the archaeologist seen in the picture, gave us 2 meters instead of the 3 we had planned, because we were short on people power.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

And so it was we got stuck in. We had to remove the Sod off the top – and place it to the side in “brick” shaped piles. This took until Lunch.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

CastleDig

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

After lunch, We started gradually digging down, layer by layer.

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015

By the third layer, we started getting a few finds. There were bits of pottery, slate roof tiles, and yes, even bone.

While I was there, we found several pieces of bone fragment, roof slates, medieval tiles, pottery, and lots of bits of metal (see the pictures).

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Pottery rim

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
bottle glass

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
a few Human and animal bones

Digging Swords Castle 8.22.2015
Can you see the slate roof tiles here?

At the end of the day, we documented where we were, and packed up to head home. Tomorrow, Day two, from Swords Castle.

Share