2024:882 - Rathangan, Kildare

Archaeological monitoring of excavations associated with the Barrow Blueway development was carried out on various dates between October 2020 and April 2024. The development comprised the upgrade of the existing navigation towpath between Lowtown and Athy, Co. Kildare. The Environmental Impact Statement for the project recommended monitoring of excavations at locations where the route passes in the vicinity of recorded monuments. The maximum depth of excavation required to facilitate the new compacted stone and dust surface was 0.35m.

Archaeological monitoring was carried out on the north bank of the canal, west of Spencer Bridge at Rathangan, Co. Kildare, on 6 and 7 November 2023. The path runs alongside the ruins of a late 18^th-century warehouse, built of rubble limestone with dressed limestone quoins and yellow brick surrounds to the carriageway entrance in the north-east gable and the windows in the side walls. A 2.1m wide corridor adjacent to the south-east wall of the building, and a small car park area (dims. 14m x 8m) were topsoil stripped. There was 0.1m of topsoil over yellow/brown sandy clay subsoil. No archaeology was found.