2004:1710 - ATHLONE, Westmeath

Monitoring of excavations associated with the Athlone broadband project was carried out from June 2003 to January 2004. The project comprised the laying of cables below the ground surface throughout the town of Athlone and its surrounding infrastructure. The majority of the cable was laid below existing roads and footpaths. The ducts carrying the cables were placed at a standard depth of 0.6m, requiring trench excavation to an average depth of 0.9m. The archaeological impact assessment report had identified a number of potential impacts and recommended monitoring of all excavations within the zone of archaeological potential in Athlone and in the vicinity of recorded monuments outside the zone. The route crossed the suggested line of the town defences in a number of locations on the east and west banks of the River Shannon. These sections of the route were deemed to be particularly sensitive potential impact locations, as the course and development of the town defences is well documented.

Excavations within the zone of archaeological potential were subject to intensive monitoring, while excavations outside the zone were monitored on an intermittent basis. A wall was discovered at the junction of Northgate Street and Abbey Road. It was situated c. 50m north of the suggested line of the town wall, of which no trace was discovered. The wall was built of roughly worked limestone blocks with traces of lime render on both faces. It was c. 1m in thickness and appeared to be built directly on the natural ground. Inclusions of red brick in the wall fabric attest to its post-medieval date. This wall is not marked on any published map of the town defences, nor is it indicated on Thomas Philips' plan of Athlone from 1685. However, a wall is shown at this location on an old Bord F‡ilte street map depicting the town defences during the siege of Athlone in 1691. Consequently it is possible that the wall discovered during monitoring is part of the defences erected in advance of the siege of Athlone in 1691.

Two walls were exposed in the south-east section of the trench on Barrack Street. The walls were faced with worked and roughly worked limestone blocks, with occasional pieces of red brick evident between the facing stones and in the core of the wall. One to two courses survived and the wall had a maximum height of 0.35m. The walls uncovered on Barrack Street almost certainly pertain to barrack buildings located along the southern edge of the military barracks on the north side of the street, which was considerably narrower at the time. These buildings are clearly shown on the first-edition OS map. Only a slight realignment of the broadband trench was required to avoid impacting on these walls. No other archaeological material was discovered during monitoring of broadband excavations in Athlone.