2016:311 - High Street, Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny

Monitoring of ground works associated with the opening of two investigative trenches was undertaken at High Street, Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. The investigative works were undertaken to determine the location of an existing watermain.  The investigative works comprised the opening of two slit trenches at the east end of High Street, close to the junction with Main Street where Duiske Abbey, a National Monument is sited.   

One of the trenches was sited on the centre of Duiske Bridge whilst the other was  located to the east of the bridge. The openings had an average length of 5.5m, were 550mm wide and ranged in depth between 300mm and a maximum depth of 750mm. In the central part of the trench opened on Duiske Bridge, a cobbled/stone surface occurred directly beneath the lower of two asphalt surfaces and dated to around the 19th/20th centuries.  Within the other opening the asphalt surface overlaid a dark brown infill which sealed the cobbled surface set within Portland cement-based mortar. This cobbled surface was exposed in the centre of the trench, occurring 500mm below the road surface, and had been disturbed at either end of the trench by services. Other than the cobbled surfaces no other archaeological remains were uncovered.