2013:023 - Knockacummer and Glentanemacelligot, Cork

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Cork Site name: Knockacummer and Glentanemacelligot

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 13E191

Author: Mary Henry

Site type: Monitoring

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 525427m, N 613473m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.267892, -9.092581

Monitoring was undertaken as part of granted planning permission for a wind farm at Knockacummer and Glentanemacelligot, Rockchapel, Newmarket, Co. Cork. The wind farm was sited at two locations: Knockacummer and Glentanemacelligot. Located close to the Cork/Kerry/Limerick county border, the Knockacummer block of 29 turbines was sited c. 15km to the north-east of the town of Newmarket and c. 5km to the south-east of the village of Rockchapel. The smaller Glentanemacelligot block, comprising six turbines, was located c. 3km, in a direct line, to the south-west of the Knockacummer block. Trenching was undertaken between both blocks to accommodate the laying of a 20 kV cable.
The nearest archaeological monument was sited c. 250m to the west of an area of ground works – the excavated turbine base and hardstand - within the wind farm. This monument is classified as Mass Rock (CO013-022).
The stratigraphy within each block was relatively consistent. Within both wind turbine blocks, peat deposits were a significant part of the stratigraphy. The peat was of such quality and quantity that it was deemed suitable for domestic harvesting at both locations and in particular at Glentanemacelligot. Within the Knockacummer block, underlying the peat deposits, was an ever present light brown sandy clay. This sandy clay had a relatively consistent thickness of 0.2m. The underlying natural depositions, a greyish/green silicate clay intermixed with frequent shale inclusions and/or yellowish brown silicate clay with frequent shale, were consistent across both wind turbine blocks.
Regarding the Interconnector section of works, i.e. the trenching to accommodate the laying of the 20 kV cable linking both wind farm blocks, this section of works extended along the public roads. This ducting trench had an average width and depth of 1m and predominantly followed the road verge. Overall the stratigraphy was relatively consistent, comprising a mid-brown sandy clay topsoil, averaging 325mm thick. A subsoil occurred beneath the topsoil. This subsoil ranged in thickness between 0.2m and 0.38m and extended to the natural depositions, which dominated the lower level of the ducting trench. Along some sections of the route peat was present as within the wind farm itself whilst along another short section bedrock occurred close to the top of the trench or dominated its lower levels. Where the route extended along the tarred carriageway, the stratigraphy along one section comprised 0.1m of tarmacadam and 0.2m of chippings overlying disturbed ground intermixed with small pieces of stone backfill, averaging 0.7m in depth. Along other sections, tarmacadam and the underlying hardcore dominated the upper levels whilst a mid-brown sandy clay occurred beneath the road make-up and overlaid the natural deposition.
In the course of monitoring the ground works the only features identified were the remains of field boundaries, drainage ditches and very occasional cultivation furrows. Regarding the field boundaries, the nature and dimensions of them would suggest they generally dated to one phase of activity, probably associated with 19th/early 20th-century land management. Typical dimensions of these field boundaries was between 1.7m and 2.4m in width and between 1m and 1.7m high. Some of the boundaries within peat areas had smaller dimensions, c. 0.9m high and 1.2m wide. In some instances there were drainage ditches associated with the field boundaries, extending parallel to them. These ditches typically measured between 0.6m and 1.2m in width and up to 0.3m deep. The fills were typical of drains, dark silty clays with small stone inclusions. Some of the ditches were modern, inserted as part of the forestation of the site some years previous.

Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, 17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary