2004:0312 - N8 MITCHELSTOWN RELIEF ROAD, Cork

Testing was undertaken on behalf of Cork County Council on the route of the N8 Mitchelstown relief road, which involves the construction of 4.5km of the N8 from Cloonlough, south of Mitchelstown, to the junction of the R513 and the N8, north of Mitchelstown. The route passes through the Gradoge River Valley and traverses the ridge on the northern side of the river valley to the junction of the R513 and the N8. The northern half of the route traverses Mitchelstown Demesne, breaching the estate wall at the junction with the N73 and the R513.

A programme of centre-line and offset testing was undertaken. A test-trench 2m wide was excavated continuously on the centre-line of the main route. Offsets were excavated at intervals of 25m on either side of the centre-line to the limits of the site boundary or CPO line. The trenches were excavated by track machines with flat buckets. In addition, target test-trenches were excavated at three locations within the route under licences 04E0889 (No. 221, Excavations 2004), 04E0891 (No. 313, Excavations 2004) and 04E0892 (No. 314, Excavations 2004) and an assessment was undertaken on a section of the Gradoge River by Julianna O'Donoghue under licence 04R091 (No. 315, Excavations 2004).

A number of archaeological sites were recorded in the testing and were subsequently excavated. A fulacht fiadh (04E1119/A012/001), a complex of pits (04E1120) and a corn-drying kiln (04E1121/A012/ 002) were recorded in Stagpark townland and excavated by Bruce Sutton (Nos 340-2, Excavations 2004). A fulacht fiadh excavated by Bruce Sutton (No. 317, Excavations 2004, 04E1071/A012/003) and a Bronze Age settlement site excavated by Eamonn Cotter (No. 316, Excavations 2004, 04E1072) were recorded in Mitchelstown townland within Mitchelstown Demesne.

Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork