County: Westmeath Site name: MULLINGAR
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0075
Author: Stephen Reed, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 643885m, N 753089m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.525934, -7.338138
Licensed monitoring was undertaken during the topsoil-stripping for construction of the N4 Mullingar Realignment and Widening Scheme, Co. Westmeath. The length of the scheme was 5km, running east from a point 3km to the east of the town of Mullingar and passing through the townlands of Clongawny, Greatdown and Newdown. Topsoil-stripping was undertaken by tracked excavators using toothless buckets, and bulldozers. Topsoil depth varied between 0.35m and 0.1m along the route, with limestone bedrock almost exposed on the crests of the small hillocks traversed by the route. One area of well-preserved peat was observed at the eastern extreme of the route with a depth of 1.5m; no artefacts were observed during its removal. Finds recovered during monitoring consisted of a few sherds of modern white-glazed wares, two clay pipe bowls and one interesting find of iron tap-slag from the vicinity of Area B (see Excavations 2000, No. 1018).
Seven areas, exposed by topsoil-stripping, were investigated by test excavations, designated as Areas A–G and subject to separate licence applications (see Excavations 2000, No. 1018 for Areas A and B and Nos 1019–21 for the other areas).
3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry
