County: Offaly Site name: BANAGHER: Harbour Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Heather A. King
Site type: Town and Ecclesiastical enclosure
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 601415m, N 715915m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.193687, -7.978817
A small archaeological investigation funded by the Office of Public Works was carried out in Banagher, Co. Offaly, prior to the construction of the Garda Station at Harbour St.
The site on which the Garda Station is situated lies on the north side of Harbour St in the townland of Curraghavarna and Portavolla within the zone of archaeological potential as outlined in the Urban Archaeological Report. This area of the town was included in the zone of archaeological potential because, firstly, the extent of the later 17th-century town is not clear, and secondly, the nature and extent of the Early Christian monastery, Cill Rignaigi, and its relationship with the 17th-century town are unknown. The site, located within a long narrow plot, has been shown as open ground on maps dating from the 17th century to the present day.
The proposed extension to the Garda Station measured approximately 6m by 7m so it was decided that a small cutting would be sufficient to ascertain the presence or absence of archaeological material. A trench 5m by 1m was opened along the line of the north wall of the proposed extension. No archaeological features or finds earlier than the 18th century were recovered.
Skidoo, Ballyboughal, Co. Dublin
