County: Westmeath Site name: Kilgaroan 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A016/072; E2700
Author: David Bayley, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Five pits and burnt material
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 630831m, N 735701m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.370603, -7.536711
Testing was carried out as part of an archaeological mitigation programme associated with the N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone dual carriageway. The site was identified during testing undertaken by Patricia Lynch, IAC Ltd, in July 2005 (A016/029). The site was excavated in January 2006. An excavation area measuring 60m by 20m was opened.
The site consisted of a disturbed burnt mound and a number of related pits and three post-holes that potentially formed a structure. The site had suffered much truncation, with the burnt-mound material being used to raise the ground level in the north-east corner of the site along a former streambed. It is believed that this land-improvement work took place in the recent past (post-medieval/modern period). In general, the archaeological features were situated on a plateau to the south-west. No finds were recovered during the excavation process.
This work was funded by Westmeath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Editor’s note: Although excavated during 2006, the report on this site arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.
