County: Westmeath Site name: MULLINGAR: Ballagh/Petitswood
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WM019-059–61 Licence number: 02E1301
Author: Christopher Read, North West Archaeological Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 646432m, N 754839m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.541441, -7.299472
The proposed site is on the north-east outskirts of Mullingar town, Co. Westmeath. The development will incorporate commercial, industrial and residential components and will cover a total area of 140 acres. Various aspects of the development have already been constructed and others have been cleared archaeologically through monitoring of topsoil-stripping (No. 1990, Excavations 2003, 02E0276 and extensions). This entry outlines the results of a portion of the proposed testing strategy designed to target the majority of the residential section of the proposed development, based on fourteen trenches out of the proposed 45. The area covered by this report includes the north-east portion of the residential area and a small portion to the south of the adjacent large landscaped area.
The site of the proposed development is located near three sites: SMR 19:59, a ringfort located 50m north-east of the commercial section, SMR 19:60, an earthworks site removed during the construction of the adjacent Mullingar Bypass, and SMR 19:61, the 'site of' a motte with no remaining surface trace. It is likely that this last site was located somewhere within the area of the proposed development.
The area was tested during January and February of 2003. Conditions on-site were poor, with constant water problems. All trenches were 1.2m wide and excavated to a depth of 0.7–1.2m. Some of the areas tested comprised fields under grass, while others had previously been partially stripped without archaeological supervision. None of the fourteen trenches excavated during this stage revealed any evidence of archaeological features or finds.
Cloonfad Cottage, Cloonfad, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
