2002:1023 - RIVER NORE, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

Monitoring took place of the bulk excavations of a 4km stretch on the River Nore Flood-Alleviation Scheme, from Bypassmeadows to John’s Bridge, for the purposes of artefact retrieval and investigation of the potential for previously unidentified archaeological features. The preparation of the dump sites involved the monitoring of topsoil-stripping at Bypassmeadows and Dukesmeadows, from 1 July and to 6 September 2002. This process involved spreading the excavated river gravel material, washing it, reworking it thoroughly and retrieving the artefacts from it by visual recognition and metal-detection.

Monitoring of the river gravels was undertaken by two people on a continuous basis. Bulk excavation of riverbed gravel and sterile riverbank clays was on a small scale, with much of the construction work being simply to create haul roads and allow machinery easier access to the river. The gravel downstream of the Ormonde Mill complex toward Ormonde Weir produced artefacts of 18th- and 19th-century dates; however, topsoil-stripping at the Dukesmeadows dump site revealed one prehistoric site, fulachta fiadh, excavated by Paul Stevens (No. 1007, Excavations 2002, 02E1237) and several isolated post-medieval features.

A Victorian walkway, or ‘Canal Walk’, is still present from Dukesmeadows to Laken Weir. The Canal Walk, so called because of its location next to the remains of an unfinished canal, was built between 1757 and 1761 to link Kilkenny with Inistioge.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin