County: Kildare Site name: CLANE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 97E0345
Author: Niall Brady, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 687432m, N 727727m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.292634, -6.688560
On behalf of Bord Gáis Éireann, and within the zone of archaeological potential recognised in the Urban Archaeology Survey for Clane, some 2km of gas pipe is being laid in a trench that is for the most part 1000mm deep and 400mm wide. The work began on 4 September 1997. The pipe approaches from the south along the Naas Road and continues north of the town along the Kilcock road. It branches off along three of the town's other arteries: to the south-west along Millicent Road, from where it proceeds to Park View estate; to the west along Prosperous Road; and to the north-east along Celbridge Road. Subsidiary piping is also being laid along both footpaths on Main Street. The western footpath is subject to further disturbances by the County Council, where three parallel trenches have been cut to accommodate new ESB cable, water, Telecom, and surface drainage pipes.
On Main Street, just north of the junction with Prosperous Road, a series of three shallow pits were observed cut into the natural boulder clay. The fill of one pit produced a small amount of animal bone, along with 'local ware' potsherds of 13th/14th-century date, and a few fragments of daub. No other archaeological stratigraphy has been in evidence. A few isolated artefacts were recovered from elsewhere in the trenches, and a Bann flake and part of a medieval window mullion were picked up south of the present village and north of the motte.
24B Spencer Walk, London SW15 1PL and Duke Street, Athy, Co. Kildare
