County: Laois Site name: PORTLAOISE: Fintan Lalor Avenue
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 13:42 Licence number: 00E0104
Author: Paul Stevens, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 646989m, N 698123m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.031720, -7.299452
Assessment and subsequent monitoring were undertaken along the route of a proposed natural gas pipeline installation in Portlaoise town. This development connects various parts of the town to the gas main and crosses into the area of archaeological potential identified in the Urban Archaeology Survey of County Laois. Test-trenching was carried out in March 2000, under licence, and archaeological monitoring of the pipeline followed shortly afterwards.
One of the three proposed trenches was opened. This trench was 5.7m by 1.9m by 1m deep and was close to the supposed southern corner of the outer town defensive ditch in Fintan Lalor Avenue. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed.
Subsequent monitoring of construction was undertaken following approval by Dúchas The Heritage Service for the development. The pipe-trench was located within Fintan Lalor Avenue, a modern road constructed in 1996; however, here the pipeline ran close to the supposed southern corner of the outer town defensive ditch as defined within the area of archaeological potential for Portlaoise. A single linear slot-trench was opened by a trenching machine and JCB; it was 520m long, 0.5m wide and 1–1.1m deep, commencing from the south-western end of Fintan Lalor Avenue (connecting with the section of gas main already laid) and extending to the Garda Station roundabout. Monitoring revealed modern road-fill and subsoil; no archaeological deposits or activity were noted.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
