2005:1629 - COURTHOYLE OLD, Wexford

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Wexford Site name: COURTHOYLE OLD

Sites and Monuments Record No.: WX035-013 Licence number: 05E1135

Author: Mary Henry, Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd.

Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous

Period/Dating: Undetermined

ITM: E 681596m, N 624834m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.368991, -6.801782

Testing was undertaken as part of planning permission to construct a dwelling house and undertake associated site works at Courthoyle Old, Carrigbyrne. The development site was close to a ringfort, with a boreen separating the two.

Five test-trenches were opened. No archaeological remains were uncovered in four of the openings. However, in one of the trenches a linear feature was identified 5.2m from the northern end of the opening. This feature measured 1.8m wide along its east side and 2.3m along its west side, was at least 0.23m deep and 0.6m below ground level. It had a single, loose fill of sandy clay loam. Evidence of a recut was visible in the upper stratigraphy of the section, resulting in the truncation of the original cut. The recut contained a single fill comprising a mixture of topsoil and redeposited fine-grained, mid-brown, sandy clay loam of the initial cut. No datable artefacts were recovered from either cut. Located 45m from the ringfort and aligned north-west/south-east, it may have been associated with the nearby monument.

17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary