County: Kildare Site name: BALLYVONEEN (Site AE18)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0142
Author: Dermot Nelis, IAC Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 679650m, N 740173m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.405681, -6.802116
Testing was carried out as part of the Kinnegad–Enfield–Kilcock (Contract 3) Bypass. The overall scheme (Contracts 1–3) involves the excavation of c. 35km of motorway, commencing to the south-west of Kinnegad in County Westmeath and continuing eastward through counties Meath and Kildare, terminating at the western end of the existing M4 motorway at Kilcock. Contract 3 covers the route from Kilcock to the east of Enfield (c. 11km).
Two linear and eleven offset trenches were excavated across the area of AE18 to assess the character of a cropmark identified in the environmental impact statement and to determine the extent, character and condition of previously unrecognised archaeological deposits in this area.
Testing revealed topsoil sealing geologically deposited strata across the whole site. Topsoil was on average 0.3m deep, above the natural, light brown, silty, sandy clay. A number of modern field drains were recorded in this general area. No previously unidentified subsoil archaeological deposits or finds were uncovered.
A geophysical survey was carried out (by GeoArc Ltd) after the linear and offset testing, which resulted in a second phase of testing. Geophysical anomalies in the form of a roughly north–south and a roughly east–west feature in the main east–west trench were revealed, but these have been interpreted as the results of modern farming practices and are therefore of no archaeological significance.
The geophysical survey, however, revealed intense archaeological features in the form of linear and curvilinear anomalies to the north of the proposed development area, outside the area of land-take.
This project was funded by Westmeath County Council.
8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
