County: Westmeath Site name: River Brosna, Mullingar
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WM019–089 Licence number: 06D057, 06R127, 06E0768 06D057, 06R127
Author: Rex Bangerter, The Archaeological Diving Co. Ltd, Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Riverine
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 644044m, N 754430m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.537968, -7.335552
An archaeological assessment took place of a 20m stretch of the River Brosna prior to the proposed upgrading of Pearse Street Culvert, in Mullingar town. The assessment area lies within the zone of archaeological potential identified for Mullingar.
The development will include the removal of a 12m section of Pearse Street Culvert and the regrading of a 20m section of the River Brosna immediately upstream (south) of the culvert. Systematic visual inspection and magnetometer survey of the riverbed and its attendant banks was undertaken along a 70m stretch of river, 35m upstream and 35m downstream of the proposed culvert replacement. The full extent of Pearse Street Culvert was inspected and a detailed photographic and written record was made. A number of different build phases were identified within the culvert (six in total), although these were predominantly located outside the proposed area of impact. The earliest culvert section dates to the early to mid-1800s. The other sections are later in construction, dating from the late 1800s up to the 1950s. No structures pre-dating the 19th century were identified and, as such, the visible remains do not appear to highlight aspects of the medieval/early modern urban area. The section of culvert under development is largely of modern concrete construction, only the south-westernmost section being of 19th-century date.
06E0768
Monitoring took place of the removal of a 12m section of Pearse Street Culvert, Mullingar. Machine excavation of the culvert exposed an area measuring 14m by 3.8m running approximately north–south across Pearse Street. The riverbed was then dredged to a depth of 86.5, 125mm below the original level. A pre-cast concrete box culvert (internal dimensions 3300mm by 2100mm) was inserted to form the new culvert structure. Visual inspection was employed to assess the archaeological potential of the riverbed, prior to, and during, the riverbed removal process. Regular access to the exposed culvert was provided, allowing inspection of riverbed deposits, recovery of post-medieval material and stratigraphic recording of the deposits beneath Pearse Street. No archaeologically significant deposits/structures were encountered during the removal process.
