County: Offaly Site name: Grand Canal, Shannon Harbour, Clonony Beg
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10D23; 10R52
Author: Eoghan Kieran, Moore Marine Services, Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway.
Site type: Riverine
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 657013m, N 714269m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.175843, -7.147161
Moore Marine Services was commissioned by Waterways Ireland to carry out an impact assessment of a proposed extension to berthing facilities at Grand Canal, Shannon Harbour, Clonony Beg, Co. Offaly.
The assessment took place on 30 June 2010. Visibility at the time of the survey was moderate and the maximum recorded water depth was 1.1m. The assessment was commissioned in order to locate, define and ascertain the character, condition and extent of any archaeological features, deposits or objects which may be affected by the development. The Record of Monuments and Places does not record the presence of any in the immediate vicinity. The Record of Protected Structures lists six protected structures in the area. Analysis of cartographic and written sources indicates that little human activity appears to have taken place at the development site.
Shannon Harbour lies at the junction of the Grand Canal the River Shannon. The village was purpose-built in 1830. Once a busy port with a population of over 1000, it fell into disuse with the decline of the canal trade. In more recent times the village has benefited from the growth of pleasure traffic on the Shannon Waterway System, including the canal, and is now a hub for river craft and water sports enthusiasts.
The survey recorded that the proposed development site is an area of canal bank currently under an unpaved road or former towpath and a low-lying area of grass and undergrowth bordering a stone wall. It was not possible to enter the water at the survey location to conduct a visual and metal-detection survey due to the presence of the moored boats along the canal bank. Examination of the water between the moored boats recorded that the water depth varied between 0.3m and 1.1m. Car tyres were visible on the canal bed at one of these locations. There were three wooden mooring bollards in various states of decay within the development area. The survey did not record the presence of any archaeological materials or deposits in the survey area.
Based on the combination of the desktop assessment and the site survey it would appear that the proposed site is of low archaeological potential with no visible or detectable archaeological materials present.
