2005:871 - CLONARD/CAPPALOUGHLIN/CLONCOUGH/CLONRUD, Laois

The assessment of Contract 3, Testing Area 10 of the M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme, involved the mechanical excavation of 115 test-trenches. These had a combined length of 4693m, resulting in a total excavated area of 9799.79m2, or c. 9.7% of the total area (100,654m2). The testing area is situated in the townlands of Cloncough, Clonrud and Clonard/Cappaloughlin, at Chainage 241650–251900. Testing Area 10 consisted of eleven separate fields: Field 243 (Plot 205), Fields 244 and 246 (Plot 208), Field 247 (Plot 208), Field 248 (Plot 206/203), Fields 249 and 250 (Plot 209), Field 251 (Plot 207), Field 250 (Plot 207) and Fields 252, 255 and 256 (Plot 210). This testing area was identified as being an area of archaeological potential, as it was located within a bog margin. Archaeological features recorded in the course of the assessment included a refuse pit with metal slag in Field 243, designated Clonrud 2, a burnt spread with associated troughs in Field 247, designated Clonrud 1, a bowl furnace in Field 249, designated Clonard/Cappaloughlin 4, a burnt spread and possible trough in Field 250, designated Clonard/Cappaloughlin 5, and four burnt spreads in Field 255, designated Clonard/
Cappaloughlin 6.

The refuse pit and bowl furnace were fully excavated in the course of the assessment. Elsewhere, excavation is recommended to fully mitigate the impact of the proposed development at Clonrud 1 and Clonard/Cappaloughlin 5 and 6.

The assessment was inconclusive in Plot 210, Field 252, due to the presence of underlying peat. Monitoring in the course of road construction is recommended in this area.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth