2007:145 - Site 205, Caheraphuca, Clare

Investigations took place along the route of the proposed N18 Gort to Crusheen road scheme. According to local sources, the trackway at Caheraphuca (Site 205) is possibly a former toll road or turnpike. The site is not marked on Taylor and Skinner’s map of Irish roads in the 1780s but is partially indicated on the first-edition OS map (1838). On the first-edition map, the western half of the trackway is shown to lead from an old road running from the Ruan road in an arc from south/north-east towards the current N18 roadway. It is likely to have functioned as a farm access route. When this old road fell out of use, the trackway was extended to meet the current N18 roadway so that the farmyard could still be accessed. Given the evidence, it is likely that this trackway has no archaeological significance and has functioned as farm access for at least 170 years. The trench excavated across the trackway failed to find any evidence of archaeological activity.