County: Tipperary Site name: Ballyerk–Moynetemple, Lisheen
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TN036–055 Licence number: 08E0701
Author: Niall Gregory, Gregory Consultant Archaeology Ltd, Dunburbeg, Clonmel Road, Co. Tipperary.
Site type: Prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 620946m, N 666041m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.745037, -7.689779
Monitoring of an eighteen-turbine wind farm, new interconnecting roads off existing mine roads and ancillary works took place within the rural zone of Lisheen Mines from 2 September 2008 to 9 January 2009. The site was situated within the general area of Lisheen Mines, North Tipperary, and traversed the townlands of Ballyerk, Barnalisheen, Cooleeny, Derryfadda, Derryville, Killoran, Lisdonowley and Moynetemple. A significant portion of the works’ locations had been previously impacted upon by the construction of the mines. At this time, significant extents of the area had received monitoring and excavation works.
Two hundred and fourteen archaeological sites were listed in the Record of Monuments and Places prior to commencement of the wind farm development. The nature of the development was largely linear, with the construction of access roads off existing mine roads, to wind turbines. In comparison to ‘area construction’, the level of impacts was largely limited with the development, in particular as a result of mine-associated works.
In the course of monitoring one small pit with in situ burning was identified and a folly was recorded. The surface of the pit was partially exposed at the edge of a ‘works area’. It was partially excavated. The remainder was preserved in situ as further construction-related activity did not impact upon it. One of the ‘works areas’ was in close proximity to the folly, which necessitated its recording in detail. This particular site was not impacted upon by the development.
Monitoring of Wind Turbine 5 took place at the location of TN036–055, noted as a possible earthwork. However, no subsurface or surface features were uncovered here. It is possible that the relatively shallow nature of the bedrock at this location may have given the former impression of the possible earthwork.
Topsoil-stripping associated with Wind Turbine 17’s construction yard area extended to within 13m of a folly associated with Killoran House a further 200m to the east of the folly. Allocation of this section of the construction yard area was subsequently excluded from within 20m of the outer edge of the folly.
There was no further discernible evidence of archaeology having been revealed within the stripped areas or soil removed.
