County: Westmeath Site name: Rathconnell 6
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10E0469
Author: James Kyle, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Post-medieval pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 647287m, N 755632m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.548485, -7.286446
Rathconnell 6 was identified as a burnt mound during the Phase (i) testing undertaken by Dave Bayley (IAC Ltd) (see No. 670 above) within the footprint of the proposed N52 Rathconnell to Macetown road scheme. The site was excavated in November 2010 and although identified in testing as possible burnt mounds the subsequent excavation revealed the archaeology on Rathconnell 6 to be post-medieval in date.
The excavation uncovered a cluster of three large pits. One of the pits contained a small quantity of post-medieval pottery and clay-pipe fragments. It is suggested that the pits were either industrial in function or created as part of field clearance works and infilled with waste.
A complex of five burnt mounds were identified during testing (Rathconnell 1–5, see No. 671 above) located c. 420m to the east of Rathconnell 6.
