County: Laois Site name: CLONADACASEY, FATHARNAGH AND TRUMRA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/045
Author: Linda Clarke, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Burnt-stone spread
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 638647m, N 693753m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.993114, -7.424338
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M7/M8 Portlaoise–Castletown/Portlaoise–
Cullahill motorway scheme (Contract 3). The assessment of Contract 3, Testing Area 4, involved the mechanical excavation of 217 test-trenches. These had a combined length of 9,428m, resulting in a total excavated area of 18,856m2, or c. 5.7% of the total area (326,515m2). The testing area is situated in the townlands of Clonadacasey, Fatharnagh and Trumra, at Chainage 29450–31900. Testing Area 4 consisted of 31 separate fields. Seventeen fields were not assessed during the initial phase of testing due to problems with access, woodland and presence of badgers.
Only one site of archaeological significance was identified. This has been designated Clonadacasey 4 and consisted of the ploughed-out remains of a burnt-stone spread that measured 13m by 11m and two smaller burnt-stone spreads that measured 3m by 1m and 2m by 1m respectively.
