County: Louth Site name: Castlehill, Carlingford
Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 16E0374
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 718652m, N 812077m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.044194, -6.188274
The test excavation of a site in advance of its development at Castlehill, in Carlingford, County Louth, was carried out on 26 July 2016. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a dwelling house. Testing was requested as Further Information by the Local Authority, following a recommendation by the Development Applications Unit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The development site was located on the northern outskirts of Carlingford, outside the constraint for the town (LH005-042) with St John's Castle (LH005-042002) visible c. 100m away to the south-east. A large portion of the site appeared to have been stripped of topsoil in the past with a large spoil heap visible in the western half of the site.
Testing consisted of five trenches excavated (by machine) to best cover the proposed development area. The trenches measured 18m, 9.8m, 10m, 29.5m and 15.8m long respectively; 1.9-2.3m wide and 0.1-1.8m deep. Testing revealed evidence of a site which had been stripped of some of the topsoil in its eastern half with the topsoil and some subsoil stockpiled in the western half of the site. Below the stockpile was topsoil, above natural subsoil and bedrock. Below the topsoil in the undisturbed area of the site was natural subsoil. The stockpile contained plastic. The topsoil contained modern pottery sherds. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.
4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
