County: Roscommon Site name: Rathpeak
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A034, E2834
Author: Bruce Sutton, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Early modern roadway/driveway
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 591324m, N 730773m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.327145, -8.130226
Archaeological assessment on the proposed route of the N6 Ballinasloe to Athlone road scheme involved targeted test excavation of selected areas lying within the proposed road-take. Work was commissioned by Galway County Council and the National Roads Design Office and sponsored by the National Roads Authority. Testing here was of an estate road, which is to be partially destroyed during the course of the construction.
A single trench measuring 17m by 1m was excavated by hand. This exposed a tightly packed cobbled surface, flanked by a bank and ditch drainage system, identified as an estate road associated with Rathpeak House Estate. This estate is depicted on the first-edition OS map (1851), which shows numerous buildings associated with the main house and serviced by several roads.
This site will be further investigated during Phase 2 excavations in 2007.
