County: Laois Site name: OLDTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0647
Author: Grace Fegan, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 633048m, N 672933m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.806378, -7.509847
Monitoring of investigative groundworks (the excavation of three boreholes and three trial-pits) was carried out in the townland of Oldtown, Co. Laois, in May 2002. The site at Oldtown was discovered during field inspection as part of the assessment of the N8 route by Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd. During aerial survey for this scheme, dark cropmarks were observed, and on the ground very obvious undulations formed what might be a potential complex of large earthworks. In light of this, a geophysical survey was undertaken by Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd, the results of which indicate the presence of four circular enclosures with associated field systems and a partial circular feature in the north-west of the field. The boreholes and trial-pits were sited to avoid the cropmarks, geophysical responses and upstanding features as much as possible. They were excavated using a mechanical digger fitted with a grading bucket and a percussion-coring rig fitted with a 150mm coring bit. No material of archaeological significance came to light during these investigative groundworks.
41 The Orchard, Kilkenny
