County: Laois Site name: PORTARLINGTON: Spa Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: RMP 5:31 Licence number: 01E0777
Author: Richard Crumlish, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 654376m, N 713310m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.167494, -7.186771
Pre-development testing of the site of a proposed two-storey dwelling and associated site works was carried out on 17 August 2001 at Spa Street, Portarlington, Co. Laois. The site consisted of a garden with a small garage along its southern boundary. It was located along the east side of Spa Street in the north-eastern quadrant of the original town, along the line of the northern town defences. The River Barrow was a short distance to the north.
Four trial-trenches were excavated. They were 9.2–20.5m long, 0.9–1.4m wide and 0.9–1.4m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of topsoil and gravel on the surface, below which was rubble fill, a mid-brown friable soil and natural sands and gravels. The rubble fill contained plastic and a range of other modern artefacts. The mid-brown friable soil contained red brick fragments. The rubble fill, visible in all trenches, represented backfilling of the site in the past. The mid-brown friable soil (found in three of the trenches) was probably the remains of the topsoil upon which the backfill was deposited. The sands and gravels located at the base of all trenches were a natural deposit, probably of riverine origin, considering the proximity of the river.
Purcell House, Claregalway Road, Oranmore, Co. Galway
