Conleth Manning is a Senior Archaeologist with the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. He has a particular interest in medieval archaeology and architecture and has directed excavations at many sites around the country including Clonmacnoise, the Rock of Cashel, Roscrea Castle and Dublin Castle. A monograph on his excavations at Clogh Oughter Castle, Co. Cavan, was published in 2013. He is a past president of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland and of the County Kildare Archaeological Society.