County: Roscommon Site name: DRUM OR WARREN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 6:78 Licence number: 02E1400
Author: Mary Henry
Site type: Field system
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 581292m, N 803252m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.978202, -8.285191
Pre-construction testing was undertaken in the townland of Drum or Warren, Boyle, Co. Roscommon. Planning permission is being obtained for two dwelling-houses and associated site works. The site of the proposed development is within the confines of a known archaeological site, a field system. Much of the boundary of the field system has been destroyed, and the area is now heavily developed. There are no defined traces of old boundaries in the area of the development. However, there is a linear ridge extending across part of the field. The ridge extends to the rear of one of the house sites, and part of the second house is on the ridge.
Ten test-trenches were opened. Five trenches were sited on the footprint of each of the two proposed dwelling-houses, and one trench on each driveway into both dwellings. No archaeological remains were revealed in nine test-trenches, but one was of concern.
Trench 6 was sited on the linear ridge. Here sod and topsoil had a maximum thickness of 0.32m. Underlying topsoil was a red/brown silty clay. A soil change was identified as the trench cut through the ridge, although there was no evidence of a cut. It appeared that the red/brown silty clay had been truncated by a mid-brown sandy clay deposit with a high content of small and medium-sized stones. There was no conclusive evidence of a cut or indeed to indicate whether the mid-brown sandy clay was the fill of an associated cut. However, it was strongly suspected that the trench was situated on an anomaly that was not of natural origin. Accordingly, it was recommended that the proposed development be subject to further archaeological consideration.
24 Queen Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
