2004:1787 - N6 TYRRELLSPASS TO KILBEGGAN, Westmeath

Centre-line test-trenching was carried out on part of the route of the new N6 between Kilbeggan and Tyrrellspass over a ten-week period between 28 June and 3 September 2004. Two-metre wide trenches with a combined length of 75,627m were excavated in 140 fields or parts of fields. A total of 64 previously unrecorded archaeological sites comprising 99 features were identified, representing a variety of site types and periods. In addition to the centre-line testing, sixteen sites were subject to site-specific testing under separate licences by Laurence McGowan, including Clonfad 3 (CL 3; 04E1090, No. 1723, Excavations 2004), Clonfad 1 (CL 1; 04E1091, No. 1722, Excavations 2004), Rathgarrett 1 (RA 1; 04E1092, No. 1773, Excavations 2004), Templeoran North 2 (TE 2; 04E1093, No. 1786, Excavations 2004), Templeoran 1 (TE 1; 04E1094, No. 1785, Excavations 2004), Killavally 2 (KL 2—issued in error as Ballykilmore; 04E1095, No. 1746, Excavations 2004), Garrane 1 (GA 1; 04E1096, No. 1735, Excavations 2004), Garrane 2 (GA 2; 04E1097, No. 1737, Excavations 2004), Skeahanagh 1 (SK 1; 04E1098, No. 1777, Excavations 2004), Killavally 1 (KL 1; 04E1099, No. 1745, Excavations 2004), Cornaher 2 (CO 2; 04E1100, No. 1727, Excavations 2004), Ardan 1 (AD 1; 04E1101, No. 1707, Excavations 2004), Ardnaglew 1 (AR 1; 04E1102, No. 1709, Excavations 2004), Ballykilmore 1 (BA 1; 04E1103, No. 1716, Excavations 2004), Garrane 3 (GA 3; 04E1104, No. 1738, Excavations 2004) and Garrane 4 (GA 4; 04E1105, No. 1736, Excavations 2004).

The majority of the testing was within an area of c. 12km in length between Tyrrellspass and Kilbeggan, south of the existing N6. The project also incorporates a distance of 1.2km to the south of the proposed Kilbeggan interchange, south of Kilbeggan, and 4.3km north of the proposed Tyrrellspass interchange, east of Tyrrellspass. It then heads northwards to Mullingar.

The sites consisted of a pit and post-hole at Aghuldred 1; charcoal spreads at Ardan 2; a burnt mound at Ardan 3; an area of burnt-mound material containing two possible troughs/pits at Ardan 4.1; redeposited burnt-mound material at Ardan 4.2 (which was resolved); a small irregular trench at Ardan 4.3 (which was resolved); a shallow depression with some burnt stone at Ardan 4.4 (which was resolved); two burnt mounds at Ardnaglew 3; a burnt pit and a shallow trench with charcoal and slag at Ballykilmore 1 (No. 1716); burnt-mound material and a burnt timber at Ballykilmore 2.1; a possible hearth and charcoal spread at Ballykilmore 2.2; small spreads of charcoal, ash and burnt stone at Ballykilmore 2.3; a possible hearth at Ballykilmore 2.4; a small pit with burnt stone and charcoal at Ballykilmore 3.1; a possible hearth at Ballykilmore 3.2; a linear ditch/boundary at Ballykilmore 4; a large burnt mound at Ballykilmore 5.1; burnt-mound material at Ballykilmore 5.2; burnt-mound material at Ballykilmore 5.3; a graveyard at Ballykilmore 6; linear features at Ballykilmore 7; prehistoric pottery at Ballykilmore 8; a large burnt mound at Cappanrush 1; a burnt mound at Clonfad 4; two linear features at Clonfad 5; a ditch at Clonfad 6.1; a burnt pit at Clonfad 6.2; a pit furnace at Clonfad 6.3; a pit at Clonfad 7; two burnt mounds at Cornaher 3.1; a charcoal spread at Cornaher 3.2; a burnt area at Cornaher 3.3 (which was resolved); a burnt area at Cornaher 3.4 (which was resolved); a linear ditch at Cornaher 3.5; a ploughed-out burnt mound at Cornaher 4; a ploughed-out burnt mound with trough at Cornaher 5; a small amount of burnt-mound material at Cornaher 6; prehistoric activity at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 2 (A001/013, No. 1731 above); a pit/post-pit at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 3; a burnt mound at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 4; a cruciform pit at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 5; burnt-mound material at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 6.1; a shallow pit at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 6.2; burnt-mound material at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 6.3; a possible hearth at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 6.4; a burnt mound at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 6.5; a possible trough at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 7.1; a burnt mound at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 7.2; three deposits of charcoal at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 8.1; a shallow pit containing burnt-mound material at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 8.2 (which was resolved); spreads of burnt-mound material at Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 8.3; spreads of burnt-mound material at Hallsfarm 1; burnt pits at Hallsfarm 2.1; a burnt mound and pit at Hallsfarm 2.2; burnt clay and charcoal deposits at Hallsfarm 2.3; a burnt pit with flue at Hallsfarm 2.4; a small burnt pit or hearth at Hallsfarm 3; a burnt pit at Kilbeggan South 1.1 (which was resolved); a pit furnace at Kilbeggan South 1.2 (A001/054, No. 1743 above); a charcoal spread at Kilbeggan South 1.3 (which was resolved); a limekiln at Kilcloghan 1; a linear ditch/drain at Kilcloghan 2; remnants of a burnt mound and linear ditch at Kilcloghan 3; a clay ridge, charcoal spreads and a lithic at Killavally 3; a possible hearth at Killavally 4.1; a spread of burnt-mound material at Killavally 4.2; burnt-mound material and a deposit of clay at Killavally 5; four small charcoal spreads at Killavally 6; a small limekiln at Killavally 7.1; two small pits at Killavally 7.2; a burnt mound at Killavally 8; a ditch and redeposit at Killavally 9; a shallow curving ditch and a possible hearth at Rathgarret 10; a circular deposit of charcoal at Rathgarret 11; a ditch at Rathgarret 12; a pit with burning at Rathgarret 2; a localised spread of burnt-mound-like material at Rathgarret 3; clay with charcoal in a possible pit at Rathgarret 4; a subcircular pit at Rathgarret 5; an irregular pit and charcoal deposits at Rathgarret 6.1; a shallow pit at Rathgarret 6.2; a curvilinear cut at Rathgarret 7.1; a small subcircular pit at Rathgarret 7.2 (which was resolved); an oval pit at Rathgarret 8; linear ditches at Rathgarret 9; a pit burial (animal) at Skeahanagh 3; a burnt mound at Skeahanagh 4; an 18th-century ancillary structure at Stonehousefarm 1 (A001/010, No. 1778, Excavations 2004); linear ditches/boundaries at Stonehousefarm 2.1 and 2.2 (A001/011, No. 1779 above); a burnt pit at Stonehousefarm 3 (A001/012, No. 1780, Excavations 2004); a burnt pit at Stonehousefarm 4 (A001/076, No. 1781, Excavations 2004); a burnt pit at Stonehousefarm 5.1 (A001/077, No. 1781, Excavations 2004); localised burning at Stonehousefarm 5.2 (which was resolved); burnt mounds at Stonehousefarm 6.1 and 6.2 (A001/078 incorporating A001/079, No. 1731, Excavations 2004); a charcoal deposit at Templeoran North 1 (which was resolved); and a probable hearth at Tyrrellspass 1.