2003:0114 - GARRAUN, Clare

Monitoring of topsoil-stripping associated with the construction of the Thomond student village (also known as the ‘4th village’) took place at Garraun, Clonlara, Co. Clare. The development forms part of the north campus of the University of Limerick and is one of a number of projects being undertaken on the north bank of the Shannon. A permanent road bridge is also being constructed linking the campus to the main body of the university. A temporary bridge was put in place to facilitate construction.

Extensive topsoil-stripping took place in 2002 on the site of the student village and on the Limerick and Clare ends of the temporary and permanent bridges (Excavations 2002, No. 166). All of this work was monitored. The only features uncovered were the remains of two brick clamp kilns. The area that was monitored in 2003 lies between the largest kiln and the landfall of the temporary bailey bridge on the Clare side of the river.

The only features uncovered were a series of furrows aligned north–west/south–east and two land drains running parallel to the furrows. One of these was visible as a shallow linear depression in the field prior to stripping. These features extended over a distance of c. 60m. Fragments of broken brick were found in both the drains and to a lesser extent in the furrows. This is not surprising, as the nearest clamp kiln is c. 25m away to the west. This indicates that they post-date the kiln, which is thought to be of mid- to late 18th- or early 19th-century date and may be associated either with the construction of the nearby Errina Canal in the 1750s or Plassey Mill in the 1820s.

An examination of the riverine material removed from the pile shafts of the permanent bridge was also undertaken. No archaeological material was found.

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