County: Westmeath Site name: Railway Field, Athlone
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 05E0123
Author: Stuart D. Elder, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 604227m, N 741774m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.426060, -7.936400
The new town centre development in Athlone requires the installation of a new link road through CIE lands immediately to the south of Athlone railway station, between the Crescent Junction and the Coosan Point Junction through the Railway Field, and expansion of the existing roundabouts.
Numerous delays have meant that, two years on, the project has still not advanced to testing stage. Monitoring of test-pits was undertaken by Tara O’Neill in 2005, and no further work was carried out until 2007. At this time only a small area was topsoil-stripped to provide for a contractor’s compound. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted.