County: Wexford Site name: NEWTOWNBARRY AND RYLAND UPPER, BUNCLODY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0113
Author: Mary Henry, Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, 17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Site type: Urban, post-medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 691290m, N 655390m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.642038, -6.651099
Wexford County Council upgraded the existing wastewater system in Bunclody. The works entailed the laying of new sewers, a new pumping station and the building of a new wastewater-treatment facility. The new sewer lines were laid predominantly within the town and followed the line of existing streets and carriageways. The pumping station was built to the east of the town, in a greenfield location, close to the west bank of the River Slaney. The sewer line extended from the pumping station along the Bunclody/Enniscorthy road (N80) to the wastewater-treatment facility. The treatment facility was located
c. •••km to the south-east of Bunclody town, in the townland of Ryland Upper. It was built in a greenfield site, bounded to the west by the N80 and the River Slaney to the east.
Due to the nature of the works, a large part of the road system in and around Bunclody was opened, well below the horizon of natural material, which offered a good insight, from an archaeological perspective, regarding the history and development of the town and its immediate environs. Local history states the genesis of this town, formally known as Newtownbarry, dates to the post-medieval period, reaching its population epoch prior to the Famine in the mid 19th-century. By the early years of the 20th century, the town was still relatively sparsely populated, with a large open area around the main town crossroads. This is reflected by the evidence gained through the monitoring of these works, with no features or artefacts with provenance any earlier than the mid 19th century being found. In total, ten culverts were found, suggesting a concerted drainage/sewerage works programme in the Victorian era.
Regarding the works on Irish Street, it is noticeable that a large part of the road had been totally remodelled at some point in the latter years of the 19th century. The earlier road surface was revealed in the form of two layers of cobbles.
It should be noted that the depth of the old road at this point corresponded with the level of the existing road immediately to the east, which explains the infilling of the road at this location; this was probably to ease the sharp gradient and reach the higher ground to the west. This is confirmed by a stone-filled land drain that also lies at the level of the existing road to the east, at a deeper level. This should be expected, as the height of the road surface rises as it extends to the higher ground to the west.
