County: Wexford Site name: Ingard Point
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07D36; 07R165
Author: Eoghan Kieran, Moore Marine Services, Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway.
Site type: Underwater
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 504971m, N 780117m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.761987, -9.441236
A programme of underwater assessments was carried out at the site of a number of proposed outfall pipelines associated with the Fethard-on-Sea regional water supply scheme. Desktop analysis of the historical, archaeological and cartographic sources relating to the proposed development recorded that the area has been the site of considerable human activity since earliest times. The assessment assessed the route of five pipeline trenches which extended into the sea from four different sites at Ingard Point and one site along a small stream which travels easterly from Fethard Bridge to the sea close to Fethard Pier.
The intertidal zones surrounding the four saltwater sites comprised a sandy gravel back-beach area which led to a kelp-covered bare bedrock intertidal zone. This topographical landform continued beneath the Low Water, where a more dense coverage of sand was noted. The survey did not record the presence of any visible archaeological features or deposits, although there remained the possibility that submerged cultural heritage may be present in the area.
