County: Cavan Site name: DRUMLEE AND BILLIS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0025
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 643109m, N 806259m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.003762, -7.342426
Planning permission for a residential development at Cootehill Road, to the north of Cavan town (Drumlee and Billis tds), required the preparation of an Impact Assessment, including testing. The site is located to the immediate west of the N3 Cavan Town Bypass road, and the surface largely slopes down to the west, to an area of badly drained marshlands. Much of the southern and south-western area of the site has been disturbed by quarrying and associated ground reduction works. There are no previously identified monuments located within or in the immediate environs of the site.
A total of 47 test trenches, of varying lengths and orientations, were excavated in the areas of the site not previously disturbed by quarrying activities. The locations of these trenches were largely based on the general topography of the site. All trenches were excavated by machine fitted with a toothless ditching/grading bucket, after which the sides and bases were cleaned by hand and visually examined. In addition, all the spoil generated by the excavation of the test trenches was ‘raked over’ in an attempt to increase the potential for the recovery of archaeological artefacts.
No features, deposits or structures of archaeological interest were noted during the course of testing, and the underlying bedrock was determined to be quite shallow across much of the site.
Byrne Mullins & Associates, 7 Cnoc Na Greine Square, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare
