2025:283 - The Sheehys, near Roscrea, Tipperary
County: Tipperary
Site name: The Sheehys, near Roscrea
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a
Licence number: 24E1065
Author: Liam Coen c/o Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy
Author/Organisation Address: Nutgrove Office Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14
Site type: Testing & monitoring, no archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 617950m, N 686308m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.927292, -7.733037
The site of a solar farm in a townland called The Sheehys, near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary was archaeologically assessed, including test excavations, and then construction ground works monitored in fulfilment of a condition of planning. Archaeological works took place between November 2024 and August 2025. Test excavations in advance of the construction phase took place in the suitable parts of the site comprising cut-away bog and reclaimed pasture. Eight trenches totalling 2380 linear metres were excavated by a mechanical excavator fitted with a grading bucket under constant archaeological supervision. The sod layer overlay peaty soils with depths between 0.2->2m that formed over a mixture of grey sands, gravels and stoney clay subsoils.
No features, finds or deposits of archaeological significance were identified during the course of testing. With the previous milling of peat within the site, it is thought that the potential for the survival of archaeological remains is much reduced.
Monitoring of the construction phase groundworks took place on November 2024 to August 2025. All groundworks were monitored and included Site Investigation works; the stripping of topsoil and peat for the construction site compound; crane and transformer pads; and the excavation of ducting trenches for the solar panels and arrays and also for CCTV installed around the site perimeter for security. Excavations for an associated interconnector cable linking Derrymore (the current site), Monaincha and Erkina solar PV farms to Erkina (formerly The Sheehys) 110kv substation was also monitored under this licence where it occurred within and around Derrymore solar farm.
Constant archaeological monitoring of the construction groundworks took place on an episodic or intermittent basis following the construction schedule. The principal finding of the exercise revealed that large parts of the site were significantly disturbed prior to development as the site had been used to store peat soils excavated during the construction of the M7 motorway during 2006-08.
No features, finds or material of archaeological significance was identified during the course of monitoring.
