County: Laois Site name: PARKNAHOWN (1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/073
Author: Tara O’Neill, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Structure
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 634007m, N 673047m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.807343, -7.495616
An excavation was carried out in response to an assessment, in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme in October 2005. The work was carried out on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. Parknahown 1 was located on Contract 1. This site was identified as a drystone walled structure following the assessment of Testing Area 13 (see No. 902, Excavations 2005). 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. Parknahown 1 was located adjacent to and west of the N8. It was located between Chainage 9935 and 173008 of the proposed scheme.
Topsoil-stripping on this site revealed the remainder of a drystone walled structure. It was originally square in shape and the south-east and north-west foundation walls were largely intact, while little evidence remained of the north-west and south-west walls. The walls measured 0.7m wide by up to 0.56m high. The enclosed area measured c. 16m2. A small stone drain extended from the junction between the two surviving walls. A small pit located in the interior of the enclosure contained the remains of a small animal skeleton. Finds from this site included a quantity of post-medieval earthenware and some sherds of late medieval pottery.
All of the samples from this site have yet to be analysed.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
