2001:1090 - BIRR: Brendan Street, Offaly

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Offaly Site name: BIRR: Brendan Street

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number:

Author: Michael Tierney, Eachtra Archaeological Projects

Site type: Mill

Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)

ITM: E 605948m, N 604754m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.194549, -7.912986

Unlicensed monitoring was carried out on behalf of Shannon Development in a development involving the renovation of a 19th-century mill. An earlier assessment and report of the site had been made by Colin Rynne. Permission was granted by Dúchas to carry out the work at short notice. The excavation of four engineering test-pits was monitored. They were on average 2m north–south by 1.5m, with an average depth of 1.5m. Two trenches revealed traces of timber and clay floors from the mill. No pre-mill archaeological deposits were revealed.

Part of the mill-race around the location of the mill-wheel was excavated to prepare for the renovation of the wheel and part of the race. This part of the project is being overseen by Chris Southgate of C. Southgate and Associates, Cork. There is continued liaison with Dúchas on this matter.

Subsequent building methods meant that no further groundworks were planned and permission was given for the development to proceed without further archaeological investigations being required.

River Oaks, Riverstown, Birr, Co. Offaly