2005:900 - OLDTOWN, Laois

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 on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. The section described in this report is Testing Area 15 located on Contract 1. Contract 1 of the project incorporated the Portlaoise–Cullahill section of the scheme, consisting of c. 14km of motorway, which extends from Aghaboe to south of Cullahill through the townlands from Gortnaclea to Oldtown. Testing Area 15 was located adjacent to and west of the N8 at the southern extent of Contract 1. It was located between Chainage 9935 and 10250 of the proposed scheme.

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, at Oldtown 1.

This site contained five archaeological features, including a spread, a pit and three possible post-holes. The spread consisted of loose dark-grey silty clay with much charcoal and heat-shattered stone. This feature was circular and measured 1m in diameter. It reached a depth of 0.1m and sat directly in natural. The pit was located just south of the spread within Trench 35. Its fill consisted of compact dark-brown/black silty clay with moderate amounts of heat-shattered sandstone. This deposit was contained within a shallow oval cut which measured 3m by 0.5m and reached a depth of 0.3m. Three possible post-holes were encountered within Trench 38 and all were filled with compact black/brown silty clay with moderate amounts of heat-shattered sandstone and moderate amounts of charcoal. No finds were retrieved from any of these features. An associated burnt mount was not identified during testing, but it is probable that one exists close by.

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