County: Laois Site name: CLONADACASEY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/043
Author: Anne-Marie Lennon, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 641482m, N 695493m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.008536, -7.381883
An assessment was carried out in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–
Cullahill motorway scheme between February and June 2005. The work was carried out in May 2005 on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. The section described in this report is Testing Area 2 of Contract 3 and consists of c. 15km of motorway which extends north–south from the termination of the Portlaoise bypass to Aghaboe through the townlands from Clonboyne to Gortnaclea. The works consist of all associated roads and side roads. This section contains the Toll Plaza in the townland of Clonadacasey, a grade separated junction at the tie-in with the existing M7 Portlaoise bypass and a bridge crossing the River Nore in the townland of Cloncough and associated ancillary works. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating a 2.15m-wide test-trench along the centre-line, with perpendicular offset trenches extending to the edge of the land-take. One archaeological site was identified in the area.
The Clonadacasey site consisted of two burnt or heat-cracked stone spreads. The spreads measured 1.9m by 1.2m and 3.25m by 2.2m. The spreads appeared quite shallow, less than 0.1m, and are probably the remains of a ploughed-out fulacht fiadh. The site was located in Field 368, at Chainage 525–675.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
