2011:393 - THOMASTOWN, Kilkenny

Monitoring of excavation works associated with the laying of replacement broadband ducting on sections of Logan Street, Low Street and The Quay, Thomastown, together with replacement ESB ducting along a section of Low Street, was undertaken on a phased basis from 20 June to 6 July 2011. The monitoring was commissioned by the South Eastern Regional Authority and formed part of the Fibre-Optic Broadband Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) Project for the town.
Original works associated with the MAN Project, including the excavation of trial pits and service trenches, the laying of ducting and construction of associated chambers, as well as the construction of overground co-locational facilities, were undertaken in 2007 (Excavations 2007, no. 1024, E3602). All works within, and adjacent to, the Zone of Archaeological Potential (ZAP) established for Thomastown were monitored by Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd. In general, the trench excavations were 0.4–0.6m in depth and 0.7–1.3m in width, while excavations associated with the construction of chambers measured 1.8m x 1.2m and varied in depth owing to archaeological constraints.
Within the Thomastown ZAP, the trenches and associated chambers were located through the existing carriageways, parking bays or pavements/footpaths in Market Street, Marsh Street, Pipe Street, Lady’s Well Street, Logan Street, Low Street and Quay Street. Some of these streets are subject to heavy traffic. Such traffic volumes, coupled with the shallow nature of the trenches and associated shallow fill/cover over the ducting, led to deterioration in the tarmac surfaces of the trenches, particularly in Logan Street, Low Street and Quay Street. The trenches were subsequently reopened down to the top of the ducting, steel plates were laid over the ducting and the trenches filled with concrete, reinforced with steel mesh and surfaced with tarmac. This engineering solution failed, however, particularly along the carriageway sections of Logan Street and Low Street. In addition, engineering testing indicated duct damage along a section of Quay Street, while a shallowlyconstructed chamber within the footpath on Lady’s Well Street is damaged and in the process of collapsing.
Owing to the failure of the engineering strategy and the health and safety aspects of the deterioration of the street surfaces, largely caused by the shallowness of the original trench excavations, it was decided that the original trenches be re-excavated to the original widths and depths, the existing ducting removed and the bases of the trenches deepened to accommodate the re-laying of the ducting in a two-over-two manner. The first phase of such works was concentrated in Logan Street, Low Street and a short section of The Quay, and the bases of the existing trenches were deepened by 0.3–0.5m in order to achieve appropriate cover over the ducts. In addition, replacement ESB ducting was also laid within the original trench along Low Street.
The spoil generated by the deepening of the trenches was laid out and raked through in order to facilitate the recovery of artefactual material. Likewise, it was subjected to scanning by metal-detector.
In general, layers of clayey/stony fill were encountered beneath the road surface/road formation layers. Such fills were up to 0.6m in thickness and lay upon the ‘natural’ sterile subsoils. No features, structures or deposits of archaeological interest were uncovered during the course of the works and no artefacts of interest were recovered.

Byrne Mullins & Associates, 7 Cnoc Na Greine Square, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare