2000:1014 - CLONHILL, Curraghbrack, Westmeath

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Westmeath Site name: CLONHILL, Curraghbrack

Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 19:23 Licence number: 00E0071

Author: Malachy Conway, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.

Site type: No archaeology found

Period/Dating: N/A

ITM: E 647580m, N 756621m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.557352, -7.281876

An archaeological assessment was carried out on 28 February 2000 at the site of a proposed dwelling with ancillary services in Curraghbrack townland, Co. Westmeath, within 20m of SMR 19:23, a ringfort. The site, which is c. 3km north-east of Mullingar and 1.1km east of Lough Drin off the Mullingar to Crazy Corner Road, lies south-west of the monument. Approximately one-quarter of the rath has been removed through sand-quarrying, and the ground immediately south of the monument has also been quarried, with small spoilheaps still surviving outside the entrance gap.

Two assessment trenches, 14m x 1.2m and 15m x 1.2m, were excavated across the front and rear foundation lines of the proposed dwelling. A third, 15m x 1.2m, was excavated across the proposed location of an associated septic tank south-east of the proposed dwelling site. A fourth trench, 25m x 1.2m, was excavated west–east across the proposed location of the soak holes. In all trenches excavation revealed sod with dark brown topsoil, c. 0.5–0.6m deep, over undisturbed, yellow, gravelly subsoil. No deposits, features or finds of archaeological significance were revealed.

15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth