County: Tipperary Site name: Area 9, Rathnaveoge Upper/Boola/Ballyslea/Ballygorteen/Ballycrine
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E003380
Author: Colm Flynn, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 608653m, N 684290m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.909391, -7.871349
Test-trenching was carried out along the route of the proposed N7 Castletown–Nenagh road scheme in the spring of 2007. Testing of the eastern section, Contract 2, extended from Castleroan townland in Co. Offaly, eastwards through North Tipperary, to Clonagooden in Co. Laois. The section was divided into eight testing areas, Areas 8–15, each tested under a separate licence.
Area 9 ran from Chainage 18.600 to 22.000, through the townlands of Rathnaveoge Upper, Boola, Ballyslea, Ballygorteen and Ballycrine, Co. Tipperary. Works were completed in late March/early April 2007.
Four potential sites were identified as follows: Rathnaveoge Upper 1, several pits, possibly charcoal kilns; Boola 1, hearth with stake-holes, possibly prehistoric settlement; Boola/Ballyslea, numerous pits and post-holes, suggesting prehistoric settlement; Ballygorteen 1 (see No. 1583 above), several pits, prehistoric pottery found in one.
Full excavation of all these sites was recommended.
