2005:1266 - CARRICKMACROSS, Monaghan

Monitoring of excavations associated with the North East Broadband project in Carrickmacross was carried out from January to July 2005. The excavation phase of the project involved the opening of a series of trenches throughout the town centre and its surrounding infrastructure. All of the trenches were located along roads, either in the carriageway proper or the adjoining verge or footpath. The trenches were 0.6m wide and excavated to a standard depth of 0.9m in carriageways and 0.6m in verges/footpaths. Junction boxes (1.25m2) were excavated where two or more trenches intersected, and at regular intervals along long straight sections. The standard method for opening the trenches was to cut the asphalt road surface with a circular saw and remove the soil using small tracked excavators. All trenches excavated within the areas of constraint around three recorded monuments (SMR 31:32, 31:34 and 31:105) were subject to full-time monitoring. All works outside these areas were subject to intermittent monitoring. No archaeological material was uncovered.