County: Waterford Site name: CURRAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0968 ext.
Author: Dave Bayley
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 619247m, N 578794m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.960488, -7.719182
A second phase of testing was undertaken to ascertain the potential impact of a pipeline on the archaeological resource that may exist within the proposed development at Curragh, Ardmore. The proposed pipeline is an effluent outfall pipeline associated with the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and will carry treated effluent to be discharged into Ardmore Bay. The work was undertaken on behalf of Mott MacDonald Pettit for Waterford County Council on 11 January 2011.
The testing programme follows on from two desktop assessments carried out by Maeve Tobin (2008) and Faith Bailey (2005) of IAC Ltd. The 2008 report identified two areas of archaeological potential (AAP). AAP 1 represented the remains of a possible burnt mound in waterlogged conditions at the northern tip of the proposed WWTP in the townland of Monea. AAP 2 comprised the section of pipeline that passes through an area of waterlogged terrain in the townland of Curragh.
Testing and subsequent excavation at AAP 1 in Monea revealed burnt mound activity and a kiln (Excavations 2009, nos 809 and 810, 08E0968), but testing at AAP 2 was unable to proceed at that time owing to access issues.
Testing at AAP 2 during January 2011 consisted of the excavation of a single trench within the area of proposed development, 7m to the north of the existing field boundary. Nothing of archaeological significance was identified during this phase of the testing programme.
Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow
