County: Limerick Site name: Main Street Lower, Rathkeale
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10E0290
Author: Red Tobin, RedArc Ltd, 35 Brook Meadow, Avoca, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Post-medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 536290m, N 641748m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.523371, -8.938826
Limerick County Council requested further information in relation to a proposed development at Rathkeale, Co. Limerick. The proposed development involved the demolition of an existing domestic garage, the construction of four detached dwellings, sixteen semi-detached dwellings, a two-storey commercial unit, access road, car-parking and associated site works. The site is located in a proposed architectural conservation area. Further information was requested to further assess archaeological issues that might arise as a direct result of this development.
A test excavation was carried out on 15 July 2010. A series of test-trenches were excavated in the paddock area by a JCB using a toothless ditching bucket. The trenches were placed to test the general archaeological potential of the site, with particular reference to a number of linear features which had been noted during the site inspection. Seven trenches were excavated in total.
The evidence from the test excavation supports the cartographic evidence, which showed the paddock area as being formal gardens in the 1830s and being redesigned as an orchard by the late 19th century. There is no evidence to suggest any earlier activity on the site and supports a post-medieval date for the activity on the site.
