2023:766 - Carnalughoge, Toomes and Tullycahan, Louth

Archaeological test-trenching was undertaken in two phases in advance of a proposed solar farm.

In April 2022, during the first phase of testing, sixteen trenches were excavated across three townlands (Carnalughoge, Toomes and Tullycahan). One trench (T17) could not be excavated as the area could not be accessed at the time. No positively identified archaeological features were found in any of the sixteen trenches excavated and only one feature of possible archaeological potential was uncovered in Trench 13. This feature comprised a 3m wide ditch aligned north-east/south-west and was filled with re-deposited clay with charcoal flecks. The date of the feature is unknown. While it may be archaeological, it is equally possible that it relates to more recent agricultural activity. A nearby feature was identified as a 19th-century relict field boundary (F4) by reference to the first edition Ordnance Survey Map. Two smaller linear features are probably land drains of modern date. The only finds were small sherds of 19th/20th-century glazed pottery. No archaeological finds of earlier date were recovered from any of the trenches.

In December 2023, during a second phase of testing, a further twenty-six linear trenches were excavated across the development area. Two trenches could not be excavated (T44 and T45) as the only access point was via a wooden bridge that was in a poor state of repair. No definitive archaeological material was found in any of the excavated trenches, with most containing linear features such as agricultural furrows, land drains or relict field boundary ditches. One small area of in-situ burning was identified in Trench 39 that could represent archaeology, however it may equally relate to fires when an adjacent field boundary was being removed. The floor surface of a possible mud-walled cabin was identified in Trench 41. No finds were recovered from the surface and it was cut by several furrows.

The features uncovered across the other trenches (F7-11; F13-19 and F21) can be interpreted as relict field boundary ditches, land drains or agricultural furrows. The relict field boundary ditches uncovered in the trenches are indicted on the 19th-century OS maps and many of the land drains were inserted in recent years.