County: Westmeath Site name: Tonaphort
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E3279; A016/080
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Bowl furnace
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 632863m, N 734475m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.359465, -7.506298
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 the writer in July 2005 (A016/029).
The site was excavated in April 2006. An excavation area measuring 20m by 20m was opened. The site consisted of a possible bowl furnace or burnt pit which was 0.49m long by 0.36m wide and 0.15m deep. It was an isolated feature and no other features of archaeological significance were uncovered on the site. No finds were recovered.
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.
