2009:565 - DUNMORE HILL, BELPATRICK, Louth

Testing was undertaken in advance of the construction of a wind farm on Dunmore Hill, Belpatrick, Co. Louth. There are two existing turbines located on the hilltop. The development will consist of the construction and emplacement of two additional wind turbines, using an existing track and involving ancillary works on Dunmore Hill. A large area of the hilltop is subject to a preservation order centred on three monuments – LH020–012, LH020–013 and LH020–004. One of the proposed new turbines (Turbine 3) will be located within the area subject to a preservation order; the second (Turbine 4) will be located immediately adjacent to the area subject to the preservation order. Ministerial consent was granted on 5 January 2009 subject to a condition that testing be undertaken. The entire footprint of the development area was subject to testing.
A portion of the trackway used to access the turbine sites runs immediately adjacent to enclosure LH020–004 and within the area subject to a preservation order. This was not subject to testing. It is proposed to prevent any subsurface impact on this area of the access road through the construction of a floating road. A layer of geogrid mesh will be laid on the existing undisturbed vegetation and a layer of crushed stone will be placed above the geogrid layer to form the site road.
Geophysics was carried out prior to testing revealing a linear feature in the eastern area of the site near the eastern edge of the footprint of Turbine 4.

Testing was carried out on 13 January 2009; this consisted of the machine excavation of a series of linear trenches, 2m wide, penetrating to the surface of subsoil. The trenches extended across the proposed turbine sites, adjacent to areas to be impacted upon by the hard-standing requirements and the adjacent portion of access road. No archaeological features were identified.