2003:0127 - LATOON NORTH/LATOON SOUTH/MANUSMORE/CARROWGAR/KILLOW/KILBRECKAN/SKEHANAGH/CLAREABBEY/CLONROAD MORE/BALLYBEG/CAHIRCALLA BEG/CAHIRCALLA MORE/BALLYMACAULA/KEELTY/CLAUREEN, Clare

As part of the National Roads Authority scheme for upgrading the N18 Limerick to Galway road, Clare County Council, in consultation with the NRA project archaeologist, requested a programme of trial-trenching along the entire route of the proposed Ennis Bypass and a western relief road. The road scheme has an overall length of 21km and involves the construction of a 13.8km eastern bypass of Ennis from Latoon, north of Newmarket-on-Fergus, to Cragard, north of Barefield. The western relief road is 7.1km long and is to link Killow and Claureen.

This report describes the results of work on the southern bypass section and the western relief road (12km). The northern part of the bypass was tested under licence 03E1293 (see No. 105, Excavations 2003).

The works (south and west) took place in the townlands of: Latoon North, Latoon South, Manusmore, Carrowgar, Killow, Kilbreckan, Skehanagh, Clareabbey, Clonroad More, Ballybeg, Cahircalla Beg, Cahircalla More, Ballymacaula, Keelty and Claureen.
A mechanically excavated centre-line trench, 1.8m wide, was located along the new road’s median line. Offset trenches, also 1.8m wide, were dug, usually at 25m intervals, and were staggered on each side. The compulsory purchase order area was generally c. 30–60m across and was widened for bridges and water-management areas. The total area of the CPO (except the bogs at Skehanagh and Killow) was 806,126m2. The area of the test-trenches was 81,067m2. Trenching examined 10.06% of the road route.

Where archaeological deposits were present, or thought to be present, the interval between the offset trenches was reduced to at least 12.5m. Some ‘open areas’ were exposed around significant deposits to better quantify and qualify the material.

Testing took place during the unusually dry summer/autumn of 2003 and this undoubtedly contributed to the finding of a significant number of archaeological sites.

Deposits found during testing are summarised by probable period with site code, licence number, excavator name, NGR and townland. The sites were excavated during winter 2003/spring 2004.

Prehistoric
Circular ring-gully with cremation burial: AR131, 04E0026, G. Hull, 132527 178048, Claureen.
Ditched oval funerary or settlement enclosure: AR128, 04E0029, K. Taylor, 132511 175537, Cahircalla More.

Fulachta fiadh
AR126, 04E0024, G. Hull, 132809 175462, Cahircalla Beg.
?Unenclosed cremation cemetery: AR102, 04E0189, G. Hull, 137357 173157, Manusmore.
Second ?unenclosed cremation cemetery: AR100, 04E0187, G. Hull, 137799 172350, Manusmore.
Burnt-stone spread with associated cremation burial: AR104, 04E0191, K. Taylor, 136850 175090, Killow.
Spreads of burnt stone:
AR103, 04E0190 K. Taylor, 136889 174611, Killow.
AR121, 04E0031 K. Taylor, 134890 175381, Clareabbey.
AR122, 04E0032, K. Taylor, 134587 175350, Clareabbey.
AR124, 04E0022, G. Hull, 134456 175394, Clareabbey.
AR125, 04E0023 G. Hull, 134365 175352, Clareabbey.
AR127, 04E0028 K. Taylor, 132000 175000, Cahircalla More.
AR130, 04E0030, K. Taylor, 132083 177256, Keelty.

Post-medieval
Brick-making kiln: AR101, 04E0188, G. Hull, 137532 172906, Manusmore.
Brick-making kiln: AR120, 04E0027, K. Taylor, 134968 175443, Clareabbey.
Limekiln: AR129, 04E0025, G. Hull, 132192 177177, Keelty.
Linear features that may represent the ground-beams of timber buildings at Clare Abbey: no site code or licence issued at time of writing (January 2004), 134714 175694 and 134712 175738, Clareabbey.

Modern
Possible prayer stone: AR105, 04E0050, M. Casey, 137898 171973, Manusmore.
Undated
Small hearth and two pits: AR123, 04E0019, G. Hull, 134444 175334, Clareabbey.

Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare