County: Laois Site name: Doon
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A015/039, E2154
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Isolated pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 625361m, N 686052m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.924694, -7.622836
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme (Contract 2) by ACS Ltd in 2006. The assessment of Contract 2, Testing Area 12, involved the mechanical excavation of 116 test-trenches. These had a combined length of 5615 linear metres, resulting in a total excavated area of 11,230m2. The testing area is situated in the townland of Doon at Chainage 10000–10850. Testing Area 12 consisted of five separate fields.
Only one feature of archaeological significance was identified. This feature has been designated Doon 1 and consisted of an isolated shallow circular pit (0.7m in diameter, 0.13m in depth) filled with burnt clay and slag particles. The samples from this site have yet to be analysed.
