County: Westmeath Site name: BALLYNAFID
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0430 ext.
Author: Patricia Lynch, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 640453m, N 760129m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.589466, -7.388987
Monitoring was carried out on 10-26 March 2003 at Ballynafid prior to the construction of a new access road adjacent to a ringfort site (SMR 12:84). Previous monitoring was carried out by Grace Fegan (Excavations 2002, No. 1839).
The development involved the construction of an access road to facilitate the closing of two level crossings, XS11 and XS12. The road was to run parallel to the western boundary of the railway bridge. Following discussions with Iarnród Éireann, the road was reduced from 5m to 4m in width. This was further reduced to 3m along the stretch adjacent to the ringfort, leaving a distance of over 6m from the base of the bank to the edge of the access road. A mechanical digger was used to remove the topsoil. One area of archaeological potential was identified and was excavated under the monitoring licence. This area of intense burning was considered to be non-archaeological.
No features of archaeological significance were identified during the monitoring.
Editor's note: Though carried out in 2003, this summary was received too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.
27 Hilltown Way, Swords, Co. Dublin
