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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

A few more finds from the site:

An old pipe

Wall plaster

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.

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

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.

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.

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/

Trench 1: looking for the remains of the great hall

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:

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.

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.

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

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).

Pottery rim

bottle glass

a few Human and animal bones

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.

Why I Would Vote “Yes” for Equality

“Yes Equality” by Catherine Cronin

On Friday, May 22, Ireland will make remarkable step for a country in which homosexuality was illegal until just 22 years ago. They will hold a referendum for Same Sex Marriage Equality. A vote. Will LGBT adults be allowed to Marry, or will they be relegated to “civil partnership” and being second class citizens? Soon we shall find out. The poles are close, and every vote is going to count in this referendum. I live in Ireland now, and while I don’t have a vote, and I am straight, I look at the people around me as a woman, and I know in my heart I would vote “yes” to Gay Marriage if I could.

Why?

In my own country, the US, state by state, LGBT rights for marriage and civil partnership are slow to come – and being battled in the courts. In the US there is no vote, and just like in many other places in the world, in both countries the issue is very controversial. I think it’s important that we all have the chance to have a voice – and not force the courts to decide this for the country, something that I applaud Ireland for putting to a referendum, because it is about equality – something which civil partnerships (in Ireland) are not. Your voice in this case, is done by casting your vote. If you don’t vote, your voice isn’t being used.

There are 160 legal differences between civil marriage and a civil partnership. This makes those who are same sex couples less “equal” in the eyes of the law. Most importantly, Civil partnership prevents the “partner” as being recognized as “next of kin” in inheritance, hospital visitation . medical decisions, social supports like welfare / unemployment / disability, and for those who have children (adopted, or from previous relationships) it neglects the bonds between parents and children. Imagine something happens to your partner and being unable to inherit the house you both worked so hard to pay for, that you can’t visit your loved one in hospital, or that your children (where you’re the only living parent they have known) are taken away and put into the foster system because you’re not recognized as a parent (because you can’t be put on the birth or adoption certificate). Completely unfair – all because you are with someone of the same gender. I just can’t justify it in my mind.

I believe that love between adults and commitment knows no bounds. I believe that if you love someone and want to have all the rights that Marriage brings, you should be allowed to commit to that person legally, and have all the same rights that marriage brings. It doesn’t devalue my commitment to someone else, it doesn’t devalue my commitment to children, nor does it devalue my love for any of them. It strengthens it – because I know that there is a chance for happiness. And hey, with 50% of all ‘straight’ marriages ending in divorce – we sure can’t do any worse letting ‘same sex’ folks get married, right? If you’re committed to marriage, you are. If you’re not you’re not. That’s the long and the short of it.

I believe that in each generation, we get a chance to change the future – for the better – and reaffirm our belief in equality regardless of race, creed, color, gender, or sexuality. This is my generation’s chance to change history for the better.

Once upon a time, there was legalized slavery in the US (and many other countries). Once upon a time, women couldn’t vote or own property. Once upon a time, people of color were segregated and had to sit at the back of the bus, have different education, and couldn’t drink from the same drinking fountains. Once upon a time, it was illegal for people to marry cross color (eg. Whites couldn’t marry blacks). Once upon a time, it was illegal to marry across religions (Catholics could only marry Catholics, Protestants only marry Protestants). We have come so far that today – all of these are laughable and un-relatable points in history for most of us. As Millennials, look back at them and say “why” and “I don’t get it”? I want to add LGBT being prevented from Marrying to this list. In fact, I would be proud to add this to the thick dusty annals of history.

I want to be on the right side of history. I don’t want to have a child ever ask me why they aren’t “equal” if they love someone of the same gender, or ask me why we didn’t pass equality when we had the chance. I don’t want to tell them that they’re not “equal” or that “something” was ‘wrong’ with them because of who they are attracted to or fall in love with. When the time comes, I don’t want to be seen like those racists protesting at the University of Alabama in the 1960’s when the first black students crossed the threshold trying to get an education. I don’t want to be seen like the Nazis who committed atrocities toward the Jews in the 1940s. I don’t want to be seen as someone who didn’t stand up and “do something” or “say something” when I had the chance. No, as an American, I can’t vote. But I do have a voice. And I do have a Blog, and I do have the ability to show my support.

So, there it is. My voice in an adopted country which I have come to love very much. I strongly encourage everyone to vote. I would YES for marriage equality, and hope you will too.

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Swords Castle – Digging up History (part 2)

Swords Castle – Digging up History (part 1)

Why I Would Vote “Yes” for Equality