2005:1728 - Belpatrick, Louth

Monitoring of groundworks associated with the construction of a windfarm on Dunmore Hill, Belpatrick, Co. Louth, was carried out under Ministerial Consent in August 2005. The development consisted of two wind turbines close to the summit of the hill, with an associated access road extending downslope to a control building and transformer compound.

The development extended into an area subject to a preservation order (No. 3 of 1998) centred on a probable Bronze Age barrow cemetery at the summit of Dunmore Hill; the current development extended close to three sites listed in the RMP, an oval enclosure containing three barrows and a mound (LH020-004) and two smaller barrows (LH020-012 and LH020-013). The first turbine was located c. 100m north-east of LH020-012, and the second turbine was located c. 100 south of LH020-004.

Monitoring of groundworks took place over 8-9 August, 15 August and 19 August 2005. The soil strip was carried out by a 13 ton tracked digger equipped with a toothless ditching bucket. Ground disturbance at the base of each turbine covered an area of c. 20m by 30m and the access road covered an area c. 5m in width and c. 1280m in total length. A control building measuring 11.5m by 5m was located further down the hill, to the south of the access road. An adjacent transformer compound covered an area of c. 27m by 10m.

No archaeological features were identified during monitoring and no archaeologically significant finds were recovered. Topsoil was extremely shallow, varying from 0.05 to 0.15m and consisting simply of a shallow sod layer. The natural deposits exposed consisted of an even mixture of angular stone, gravel and sand, varying in colour from yellow to bright red.

Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd., Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14.