County: Clare Site name: KEELTY (Site AR39)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0857
Author: Dermot Nelis, IAC Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 532189m, N 677336m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.842693, -9.006574
The N18 Ennis Bypass would involve the construction of a 13.8km eastern bypass of Ennis from Latoon, outside Newmarket, to north of Barefield, at Cragard, along with a 7.1km western relief road from Killow to Claureen, outside Ennis.
Site AR39 was recorded as a circular enclosure or raised area of approximately 20m in diameter in the environmental impact statement. It is depicted on the first-edition 6-inch OS map. A slightly raised area of stones defines the site. It was considered that the site’s low-lying location on the edge of the flood-plain of the Claureen River would suggest that it was possibly a crannog. The area surrounding the potential crannog was also considered to have a high potential for the presence of remains of archaeological significance due to the presence of a number of identified archaeological sites and its location on the flood-plain.
The excavation of six test-trenches totalling 252m2 within site AR39 failed to produce any material of archaeological significance. In all trenches the topsoil directly sealed the natural subsoil.
It is suggested that this is not the site of a crannog but rather an area of non field-clearance. The solid geology of large boulders was not cleared, with the result that no farming practices took place in this immediate area and the tree cover was allowed to grow. Conversation with the landowner confirmed that the wider area had previously been cleared.
This project was funded by Clare County Council.
8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
