2007:Appendix 1 - N7, Nenagh to Limerick high-quality Dual Carriageway, Limerick

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, Excavations 2007) 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, Excavations 2007). 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, Excavations 2007), Ballywilliam (see No. 1588, Excavations 2007) and Carrigatogher (Abbott, Harding and Ryan, Nos 1601–14, Excavations 2007). 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.