County: Tipperary Site name: GREEN LANE BRIDGE, CLONMEL
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E504; 09R201
Author: Eoghan Kieran, Moore Marine Services, Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway.
Site type: Riverbed testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 607652m, N 640252m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.513593, -7.887256
Moore Marine Services Ltd was commissioned by Mott McDonald, Consulting Engineers, to carry out a programme of testing in the River Suir at Green Lane Bridge, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. The work was carried out in advance of the replacement of the Green Lane Bridge between the south bank of the river at Green Lane and Stretches Island.
Initially, it was proposed to excavate three H-shaped test-trenches. They were to be excavated between each of the three arches of the current bridge. Environmental, time and riverine conditions negated this possibility and therefore only two sets of trenches were excavated in Arch 1 (the most southerly) and Arch 3 (the most northerly).
During testing a large number of coins were recovered. These included a 15th-century coin which was recovered from Arch 1. Two archaeological timbers were recorded in Arch 3E and one was recorded in Arch 1. Numerous fragments of masonry and cut stone were identified on the riverbed, with fragments of glass and a sherd of Bellarmine pottery dating from the 16th to 18th century being recovered. The discovery of such a variety of material from the entire swath of the riverbed indicates that there are archaeological deposits present and works in the riverbed will have a negative impact on their survival.
