20202:000 - Farrantoreen, Kerry

Archaeological test-trenching was required as a result of a request for further information by Kerry County Council with regards to a planning application for a proposed housing development at lands at Farrantoreen, Killorglin, Co. Kerry. The proposed development comprises 42 four-bedroom dwelling houses, 32 three-bedroom dwelling houses and access road with associated services. The proposed development covers an area of 4.9 ha. The site is situated in a mix of agricultural and scrub lands along the east side of Farrantoreen Lough.

Test trenches were excavated within the footprint of the development to assess the potential for subsurface archaeological remains. In total 1,938 linear metres of test trench were excavated across the site This represented just over 8% of the proposed development site. Constraints on the testing array comprised pre-existing drainage associated with the adjacent housing estate and the depth of made ground resulting from its construction.

Evidence of one of the field boundaries marked on the 1st edition OS 6-inch series map was uncovered in Trench 16. There was no evidence of the other field boundaries marked on the historic OS mapping but as these were not targeted and were in areas of made ground, and therefore below the depth required for this excavation, this does not mean that they are not still present.

No previously unknown archaeological features, finds or deposits were found within the area specified for archaeological testing.