2026:192 - Curraghnagarraha, Waterford

The author was commissioned to complete a programme of archaeological testing of a proposed development at Curraghnagarraha, near Carrick on Suir, Co. Waterford. The proposed development comprises a biogas facility on a roughly 4.54ha greenfield site.

The site is in county Waterford, c. 2.34km to the southeast of Carrick on Suir and comprises improved grassland bordered by mature trees and hedgerow situated in a flat, low-lying pasture landscape.

There are no monuments recorded by the National Monuments Service (NMS) within the boundary of the site. The nearest monuments, two fulachtaí fia (WA003-094– & 94001–) are located c. 200m to the west of the site. There are no other features of cultural heritage significance in the immediate vicinity.

This work was carried out prior to a planning application in response to a recommendation of a cultural heritage assessment completed by the author in 2024.

A backhoe excavator with a bucket of 1.9m width removed topsoil and sod and the subsurface ground was excavated by a toothless ditching bucket to undisturbed ground. The excavated ground was assessed for the presence of archaeological features. Six east-west aligned trenches and 4 north-south aligned trenches were excavated within the footprint of the proposed development. A total of 1380m was excavated in regularly spaced intervals. All machine excavations were continuously supervised by the applicant.

The stratigraphy encountered was consistent throughout the site and comprised topsoil and sod up to 400mm in depth throughout. This overlies a loose sandy mid-brown natural subsoil which was present throughout the site. The central part of the  site was waterlogged in parts. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted.