2003:0314 - CASTLEFARM, Mitchelstown, Cork

Monitoring was undertaken of the excavation of trenches for sewage pipes and groundworks associated with the construction of a series of structures at Castlefarm, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. The proposed development was situated within the Dairygold industrial complex north-west of the town of Mitchelstown.

The area of proposed development was located within the zone of archaeological potential for the site of Mitchelstown castle, which lies directly to the south, and a country house. There were two further monuments within 200m of the proposed area of development, a graveyard and church, SMR 19:27, while SMR 19:149, the historic town of Mitchelstown, was c. 1km from the area of proposed development.

Three trenches were excavated using a five-tonne mini-excavator with a bucket width of 0.4m. The maximum depth for all three trenches was 0.7m, with an average depth of 0.5m. Monitoring did not identify any features of significance. It is likely that this area was heavily disturbed by previous development on the site and that any archaeological features, if present, were completely truncated by this development.