County: Tipperary Site name: MONADREELA/BOSCABELL (Site 15)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0394
Author: Joanne Hughes
Site type: Road - road/trackway, Pit and Watercourse
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 609578m, N 641686m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.526458, -7.858846
This site on the N8 Cashel Bypass and N74 Link Road scheme had been tested in 2002 by Anne Marie Lennon (Excavations 2002, No. 1704, 02E0286) and no dating evidence was found. Phase 2 works involved excavation of the roadway known locally as 'Croke's Lane' and investigation of an area 50m south of the lane between Chainages 6460 and 6510. Although no definitive dating evidence was recovered for the construction of Croke's Lane, it is proposed that it dates from the mid-17th century and comprised two earthen banks with drystone wall facing and a compact cobbled surface. Adjoining the southern wall was a north-south-oriented field boundary (still extant) which was also determined to be of mid-17th-century date, or later.
Nine post-medieval ditches and drains were identified. These appeared to be of a two-phase sequence and showed a change in drainage alignment associated with the creation of the field boundary. Other features were derived from agricultural access requirements and were associated with houses shown on the first-edition OS map.
One undated pit found south of Croke's Lane may be associated with prehistoric activity in the area; i.e. with Site 13 (No. 1787, Excavations 2003, 03E0378), c. 40m to the north.
Boscabell, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
