County: Westmeath Site name: ATHLONE TOWN CENTRE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0275 ext.
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 604040m, N 741413m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.422818, -7.939217
Archaeological investigations of enabling works associated with the construction of the new Athlone Civic Centre uncovered the remains of a large pit, of unknown date. It was roughly circular, measuring 2.48m north–south by 2.2m, and was up to 1.4m deep. It contained three fills, the basal one of which was organic. It is hoped that specialist analysis of this material may facilitate interpretation of the feature.
A section face of the foundation remains of a wall was also uncovered, along the south-eastern edge of the development area. It consisted of a stony rubble set in mortar and occupied a foundation trench. The remains were 0.6m deep and 1.8m wide. The surface of the remains lay 0.5m below the existing ground surface. It is likely that the foundations are the truncated remains of the 17th-century town wall, the original line of which runs diagonally across the development area. Hoarding was set up in front of the exposed wall face to ensure its protection.
An additional programme of testing was undertaken on 15 August 2002. A narrow trench was excavated from the wall remains described above along the external face to determine the exact external line of the town wall and part of a demi-bastion feature. The testing indicated that the proposed civic centre is slightly less than 3m from the subsurface wall remains. The building line was moved farther from the wall remains to facilitate the establishment of an agreed buffer area.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
