County: Kildare Site name: BALLYCOWAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1169 EXT.
Author: Finn Delaney, Dominic Delany & Associates
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 664402m, N 740419m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.409972, -7.031354
Monitoring took place at Ballycowan Quarry on the 14 and 15 February 2005. The site is c. 4km south of Clonard on the eastern bank of the River Boyne.
An impact assessment was carried out for the proposed quarry. An initial programme of monitoring took place at the quarry site in August 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 873) and in September 2004 a further phase of topsoil-stripping was monitored. Neither programme revealed any significant features or deposits of an archaeological nature.
The developer proposed that a series of 1.5m-wide trenches be excavated across the remaining unstripped areas within the boundaries of the quarry site. These trenches would be used to ascertain the depth of topsoil across the remaining unstripped areas and could also be used to test the remaining portion of the site. On consultation with the DoEHLG it was agreed that the proposed test-trenches would be monitored under an extension to the original licence.
Ten long trenches were excavated. The topsoil across the site was predominantly an orange/brown sandy silty clay with very few inclusions. The depth of the topsoil varied across the site and was related to the topography, with a greater depth of topsoil recorded along the base of slopes. The underlying subsoil ranged from a sandy silty clay to rough gravel and was considerably mixed in places. The topsoil was sterile, with few inclusions or finds. Nothing of any archaeological significance was noted in any of the ten excavated trenches.
Unit 3, Howley Court, Oranmore, Co. Galway
