2007:Appendix 1 - , Antrim

N7 Nenagh to Limerick high-quality dual carriageway, A026/000
The proposed N7 Nenagh to Limerick road scheme is being developed by Limerick County Council in conjunction with North Tipperary County Council and the National Roads Authority. Its purpose is to provide a high-quality dual carriageway (built to motorway standard) connecting the Limerick southern ring road to the N7 Nenagh bypass, a distance of 27.8km. As part of the project the Nenagh bypass will be upgraded to a dual carriageway (c. 10km). The scheme will also involve the provision of four interchanges along the proposed mainline and the upgrade and realignment of c. 6.5km of existing national, regional and local roads. A link road will connect the mainline with the village of Birdhill on the existing N7. Construction of the road began in November 2006 and is expected to be complete in 2009.
The proposed route passes through the undulating low-lying pastureland of the Kilmastulla River valley, flanked to the south-east and north-west by the Silvermines and Arra Mountains of north Tipperary, terminating in north-east County Limerick. Lough Derg and the River Shannon form a natural barrier to the north. The cultural heritage section of the EIS for the scheme was prepared by Margaret Gowen & Co. in 2003. An archaeological mitigation programme was formulated based on the findings of the EIS, coupled with aerial photography, contour survey and wetland assessment. Townland boundaries and watercourses crossed by the scheme were surveyed and recorded, as were all upstanding structures.
The new road also traverses three substantial wetlands, namely Drominboy, Annaholty and Cappadine bogs. These areas could not be tested due to health and safety concerns and were instead archaeologically monitored during road construction. Monitoring by TVAS (Ireland) has so far resulted in the discovery of a 7m-wide timber trackway in Annaholty that appears to have connected two gravel islands within the bog (see No. 1568 above) and a leather shoe, which has been provisionally dated to the early 12th century based on decorative and structural details. Further palaeoenvironmental sampling and analysis of these wetlands will be undertaken by Headland Archaeology in 2008–9.
For the purposes of test-trenching the scheme was divided into three separate contracts. Contract 1 was completed by Aegis Archaeology, while Contracts 2 and 3 were completed by Judith Carroll & Co. Test-trenching of the route was carried out between February and March 2006. Where possible, a minimum 10% of the total ground surface was machine tested but in areas of high archaeological potential this was increased to 15–25%. Areas which were at that time inaccessible, or unavailable for testing due to ecological constraints, were tested during subsequent phases of the project by Headland Archaeology and TVAS (Ireland). Over 150 archaeological sites were identified, ranging in date from the prehistoric to late medieval periods. These sites were excavated under Ministerial Direction number A026/000 by Aegis Archaeology, Headland Archaeology and TVAS (Ireland) between July 2006 and July 2007.
One of the most significant excavations centred on a natural gravel mound in Tullahedy where extensive evidence of Neolithic activity was recorded (see No. 1741 above). The mound appears to have been semi-enclosed by a palisade on its north-west and west sides. A large hollow had been cut into its south-eastern slope, within which two Neolithic houses had been constructed. The mound was later significantly altered by the introduction of substantial layers of glacial till. Approximately 139 polished stone axeheads (some fragmented) were recovered during the excavation, as well as large quantities of lithics (including chert arrowheads and scrapers) and early Neolithic pottery. This type of site is unique in the Irish archaeological record.
Also worthy of note is the evidence for Bronze Age settlement revealed on the scheme. No less than ten settlement sites were excavated in the townlands of Ballynahinch (see No. 1587 above), Ballywilliam (see No. 1588 above) and Carrigatogher (Abbott, Harding and Ryan, Nos 1601–14 above). All of the structures were roughly circular in plan and situated on south/south-east-facing slopes. A number of the houses in Carrigatogher (Ryan) and Carrigatogher (Harding) had evidence for ‘porch’-like features extending from their respective entrances. Similarities in structural arrangement and morphology between these settlements, which were almost a kilometre distant from each other, are being examined during post-excavation. Bronze Age industrial and funerary activity was also well represented along the length of the scheme, with numerous fulachta fiadh and flat cremation cemeteries being excavated.
Excavations on the scheme have also revealed considerable evidence for both early and late medieval settlement. Twelve substantial ditched enclosures were recorded, most of which contained internal structural remains as well as evidence for industrial activities such as cereal processing and metalworking. Where these enclosures were only partially revealed within the road-take, geophysical survey was undertaken to establish their full extents. This information has been supplied to the Archaeological Survey of Ireland with the recommendation that they be entered into the Record of Monuments and Places for counties Tipperary and Limerick.
The post-excavation phase of the project commenced in 2007 and is currently ongoing.
All archaeological works were funded by the National Roads Authority through Limerick County Council as part of the National Development Plan 2000–2006.
Paul O’Keeffe, NRA Assistant Archaeologist, Mid West National Road Design Office, Lissanalta House, Dooradoyle, Limerick.
Appendix II
A4/A5 Corridor Improvements, Dungannon to Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone, summary
Trial-trenching was carried out in 28 separate locations affected by construction of new sections of road, required by the upgrading of the A4 and A5. Further investigations were carried out at twelve of these locations, where potentially significant archaeological remains were encountered. See sites beginning RN105, all in Co. Tyrone, for cross references.
Appendix III
N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme, summary introduction
Preliminary test excavations in advance of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme, Phase 3: Kilcullen to Carlow were undertaken by Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC Ltd) between October and November 2005 and by Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd (CRDS Ltd) from May to August 2006. The test-trenching identified a total of 102 archaeological sites, which were fully excavated by Headland Archaeology Ltd from March to December 2007, under Archaeological Services Contract No. 5, Kilcullen to Moone/Athy link road, and Archaeological Services Contract No. 6, Moone to Prumplestown. Reports on the Contract 5 and Contract 6 sites, all in County Kildare, can be found above. The works were undertaken on behalf of the National Roads Authority and Kildare County Council, under the National Development Plans 2000–2006/2007–2013, and were funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.
Contract 5
E2854 E2868 E2882 E2976 E2990 E2855 E2869 E2883 E2977 E2991 E2856 E2870
E2884 E2978 E2992 E2857 E2871 E2885 E2979 E2993 E2858 E2872 E2886 E2980
E2994 E2859 E2873 E2887 E2981 E2860 E2874 E2888 E2982 E2861 E2875 E2889
E2983 E2862 E2876 E2890 E2984 E2863 E2877 E2970 E2985 E2864 E2878 E2972
E2986 E2865 E2879 E2973 E2987 E2866 E2880 E2974 E2988 E2867 E2881 E2975
E2989
Contract 6
E2967 E2995 E2962 E2966 E2996 E2963 E2960 E2938 E2965 E2956 E2939 E2968
E2959 E2944 E2969 E2955 E2945 E2954 E2946 E2951 E2947 E2949 E2950 E2948
E2952 E2943 E2957 E2942 E2958 E2941 E2953 E2940 E2961
Noel Dunne, NRA Archaeologist, Kildare County Council, NRDO.