County: Westmeath Site name: FARTHINGSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A001/082
Author: John Tierney, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork.
Site type: Natural feature
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 646447m, N 739110m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.400097, -7.301561
Excavations were undertaken in advance of realignment of the N6, between Kinnegad and Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1748, 04E0908). Farthingstown 8 was one of six areas of archaeological potential uncovered in Farthingstown townland, near the western end of the scheme.
When the linear feature was identified during the original testing a 10m by 10m area was opened to determine its extent. No other archaeological features were evident and similar negative results were drawn from the adjacent test-trenches. This site was, therefore, only reopened in order to resolve and record the linear feature. A 10m by 10m area was stripped of topsoil. The line of the original test-trench was evident within the excavated area. The topsoil cover, up to 0.3m deep, was mid-brown silty clay. The subsoil was light reddish-brown clay. The feature was partially excavated and identified as a natural feature.
