2004:1049 - LONGFORD: Bridge Street, Longford

The client proposed a large-scale retail complex on the site of the former Lyons/AIBP meat factory adjacent to the Sean Connolly Barracks. The barracks were constructed on the site of the 17th-century Longford Castle, of which a round tower and dwelling house survived until the latter half of the 20th century. Evidence from a series of historical maps shows that the meat factory buildings were constructed on the site of earlier buildings that were demolished to make way for the new construction. Nothing of these older buildings remained visible in the fabric of the buildings occupying the site.

Four trenches were excavated east-west across the yard, which had a concrete surface of up to 0.2m thick, reinforced with steel mesh in places. Beneath this, there was mostly a deposit of rubble left behind after the demolition of the buildings that had stood on the site before the meat factory was constructed, and this rubble had been utilised as a levelling layer and bed for the concrete yard surface.

Trench 1 was closest to the river and revealed concrete and gravel to a depth of 0.8m overlying peat to a depth of 2.5m, where bedrock was encountered. Two large tanks were noted, lined with planks of pine and separated by a 0.4m-thick layer of grey clay. The timber of the planks was still very yellow, suggesting a relatively recent date for the installation of the tanks. The larger tank, to the west, was filled with roughly hewn stones, whilst the smaller tank to the east was filled with an organic material, probably wood-shavings. Tanks are depicted on the 1894 edition of the OS map, though these are further to the west of those found. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted.

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