County: Waterford Site name: RECTORY FIELD, Stradballymore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 24:60, 32:12 Licence number: 01E0910
Author: John Tierney, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 636673m, N 597627m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.129297, -7.464369
Test-trenching was carried out at this site as part of an assessment prior to a housing development comprising fourteen dwellings. A single house development adjoining the main site at the north-east was also tested. The development is in the zone of archaeological potential of Stradbally village. The site is adjacent to St James’s parish church, on a small hill on the west side of the village. A ruinous structure within the grounds of the present church has no definite date attached to its founding, but research carried out indicates that the ecclesiastical site was originally established in the 13th century, with a two-celled structure, property of the Augustinian friary at Kells, Co. Kilkenny.
Seven test-trenches were excavated. One linear feature was uncovered, in the second trench, c. 35m from the western boundary of the site and parallel to it. The feature was perpendicular to the trench and extended outside it. It was c. 2.2m wide and 0.45m deep. It occurred approximately one third of the way across the field from the southern boundary. It is probably the field boundary that appears on the second edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map in this position. The boundary does not occur on the first edition map and is therefore relatively recent in date. No other features were uncovered during the excavations.
Unit 2F, Dungarvan Business Park, Shandon, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
