2000:0032 - COOLNAKEERAN, Carlow

Pre-development test excavation was carried out in April 2000 on the development site of a private dwelling, septic tank and water percolation areas, as well as access route to the house. The site is located in the townland of Coolnakeeran, Co. Carlow, close to the village of Old Leighlin, and lies within the same field as a recorded monument, an enclosure SMR 11:14. This enclosure was quarried and backfilled in the 1960s.

The dwelling and associated waste management facilities were to be constructed south of a 20m buffer zone bordering the enclosure. In advance of excavation, the client had received permission from Dúchas The Heritage Service to topsoil-strip the footprint of the house and driveway. These areas were then covered with gravel.

Four test-trenches were opened using a mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless bucket, working in level spits of c. 0.1m. Excavation was conducted into natural in each trench in order to confirm that this was a geologically deposited stratum.

Trench 1 was opened over the area designated for the septic tank and water percolation; this location was closest to the buffer zone surrounding the enclosure. The trench was orientated approximately north–south and measured 1.4m wide, 0.9m deep and 10.5m long. Beneath the sod there was a horizon of topsoil/old ploughsoil up to 0.35m deep. The topsoil was removed onto a mix of heavy, orange clays and very stony, light brown clay, c. 0.4m deep, in which occasional charcoal flecks were present. These may represent soils redistributed over this part of the field at the time the nearby enclosure was levelled. There were no finds retrieved, nor were any cut features identified. Removal of this horizon was onto a sterile, light, sandy gravel.

Trenches 2 and 3 were placed along the line of the house foundations, while the fourth trench was located within the area of the front yard of the house. All trenches were orientated approximately north-north-east/south-south-west and measured 1.6–1.7m wide, 0.4–0.45m deep and 6–6.5m long. The topsoil had already been removed from the area; excavation was through the recently laid gravel into natural. This generally consisted of a heavy, sticky, yellow clay with moderate to frequent stone inclusions. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed in any of the trenches.

As the test excavations did not reveal anything of archaeological significance, a negative impact on archaeological deposits or features was not identified. Consequently it was recommended that the development be allowed proceed without any further archaeological conditions.

However, a more comprehensive picture might have been obtained if an archaeologist had been present when topsoil-stripping had occurred. This might have negated the need for testing except in the area designated for the construction of the septic tank and water percolation area. The archaeological condition attached to the grant of planning permission required an archaeological assessment of the site by means of test-trench excavation. Considering the size of the development site, however, specifically in relation to the footprint of the house, monitored topsoil-stripping ahead of construction rather than during the construction works might have more comprehensively shown the presence or absence of archaeological features on the site.

Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3