2016:414 - Adare, Graigue and Cummeen, Limerick

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Limerick Site name: Adare, Graigue and Cummeen

Sites and Monuments Record No.: LI021-032001 Licence number: 16E0402

Author: John O’Connor, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd

Site type: Possible medieval urban

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 546028m, N 645526m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.558374, -8.795959

Monitoring was carried out by Richard O’Brien of the Mid-West National Roads Design Office along a 200m length of the N21 Rathkeale Road adjacent to the playing field belonging to Scoil Naomh Iósaf Adare Boys National School in Adare, Co. Limerick. The works involved upgrading the existing pavement, the replacement of various cabled services, removal and replacement of the school boundary fence, removal of a rockery and other minor landscaping. Nothing of archaeological significance was found during these works.

Subsequently the licence was transferred to John O’Connor of Rubicon Heritage Service’s Ltd. Monitoring of ground investigation works in the townlands of Adare, Graigue and Cummeen was undertaken on behalf of Limerick City and County Council over a 5-week period, beginning on 3 November 2016.

A second phase of work was undertaken between 6-9 February 2017. The works involved monitoring of the excavation of 22 slit trenches, 3 rotary cores and 17 test pits by IGSL Ltd. along the route of the proposed upgrade of the road pavement, footpath and drainage of the N21 Rathkeale Road. Slit Trenches 16-20 were within the zone of archaeological potential of the historic town (LI021-032001) and crossing the projected line of the medieval defences of Adare. In addition, 8 test trenches were excavated in the area of a proposed carpark and attenuation tank.

Nothing of definite archaeological significance was identified during the monitoring, though two possible areas of interest were noted in TP03 and TP17. A possible boundary wall trench in TP03 is off the line of the main works and unlikely to be further impacted on by the scheme. A  stone deposit was identified in TP17. It is undated and is likely to be natural. However, its proximity to a projected line of the town wall means that the possibility that it could be an archaeological deposit needs to be considered. 

It is recommended that all remaining ground work related to the scheme be monitored, including that in the vicinity of TP17.

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