County: Tipperary Site name: TYONE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1254
Author: Ruth Elliott, for GCALtd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 587023m, N 678518m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.852500, -8.189130
The site was a proposed residential housing development, measuring c. 300m by 200m, to the east of the road from Moanbeg to Fawnlough in the townlands of Moanbeg and Tyone, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Archaeological assessment and monitoring were a condition of planning permission for the development.
An assessment was carried out by Niall Gregory in July 2002 (No. 1741, Excavations 2002, 02E1204). Although groundworks had already begun on the site, two areas of archaeological potential were identified. The first was an anomalous rounded hollow, c. 15m in diameter and 0.3m deep, in the western part of the site. The second area was defined by the topographical ascent of the site itself, terminating in a small natural summit in the north-eastern corner.
Monitoring was carried out between 12 August and 6 September 2002 during the first phase of groundworks for the scheme. This involved topsoil-stripping in the area of ten proposed houses in the north-eastern part of the site, four in the south-west and the associated access roads.
Stratigraphy varied across the site. The sod layer averaged 0.2m deep and was composed of light brown, sandy clay with a moderate amount of charcoal inclusions. In the northern part of the site this overlay light brown, silty clay topsoil with a moderate amount of charcoal inclusions, 0.18–0.22m deep. The topsoil increased in depth as the site naturally descended to the south and south-west. In these areas it comprised mid-brown sandy clay 0.2–0.4m deep. Natural subsoil was a brown/yellow sandy clay with frequent stone and decayed stone inclusions. Natural outcrops of limestone bedrock were uncovered randomly throughout the site. The ridge forming the perimeter of the hollow area in the south-western part of the site proved to comprise one such bedrock outcrop.
Two areas containing archaeological material were uncovered during this phase of monitoring. Area 1 was in the north-eastern part of the site, and the features were contained in an area of c. 30m by 40m. These consisted of a linear ditch, an area of in situ burning and a number of features containing charcoal-rich soil. Area 2, in the south-western part of the site, contained archaeological features in an area of c. 20m by 30m. These were an irregularly shaped area of in situ burning and a number of features containing charcoal-rich soil, some of which exhibited burning around the edges. Excavation of Area 1 was carried out from 2 to 6 September (No. 1774, Excavations 2002, 02E1413). Owing to insufficient budgetary allowance for archaeological provisions, the client requested that excavation within Area 2 be postponed until the second phase of groundworks for the development. Therefore Area 2 was cordoned off from development works, and the features were covered with heavy-duty polythene.
In an area of c. 70m by 30m at the east of the site, soil-stripping did not reach the level of natural subsoil. It was therefore not possible to determine whether archaeological material consistent with that uncovered to the north-east in Area 1 was present. The area was cordoned off from development works at the end of the first phase of groundworks.
Lower Green, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
