County: Cork Site name: N25 Dunkettle Interchange Improvement Motorway Scheme—Inchera & Dunkettle, Co. Cork
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004939
Author: Patricia Long, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd
Site type: Features present on historic mapping
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 473351m, N 572524m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.890479, -9.840011
A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken in association with the N25 Dunkettle Interchange Improvement Motorway Scheme—Inchera & Dunkettle Townland, Co. Cork between January 2018 and March 2018. These works were undertaken on behalf of Cork County Council. The Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, following consultation with the National Museum of Ireland, issued Directions to Cork County Council for archaeological works relating to the road development (A0075). The registration number, E004939, was allocated by the Department for this archaeological monitoring programme.
The N25 Dunkettle Interchange Improvement Motorway Scheme is located in Inchera and Dunkettle Townlands at the N25 Dunkettle Interchange, Co Cork. Site clearance works took place, in advance of tendering for the construction of the proposed N25 Dunkettle Interchange Improvement Motorway Scheme. Some grubbing out of tree roots was required in certain greenfield pockets of the scheme and in areas where there was no known made ground, designated Areas 3, 7 & 8.
The TII Project Archaeologist recommended that these works be carried out subject to a programme of archaeological monitoring as there was a slight potential that archaeological remains might be exposed. The extent of the archaeological monitoring was confined to targeted locations within the road take of the scheme that was approved by An Bord Pleanála (ref. 04. HA0039) in April 2013.
Monitoring of tree grubbing was carried out within three areas (3,7 & 8) with a combined area of 112,125 m² at Inchera and Dunkettle, Co. Cork. Grubbing out of tree roots was intermittent and, dependent on general programme of works. Archaeological features were only identified in Areas 3 and 8; all could be correlated to features present on historical mapping. The identified features included a revetted field drain in Area 3 and two linears (007 & 008)—probably remains of walls—a curved wall (005) relating to the original causeway leading into Little Island, a tank/pump structure (011), townland boundaries and a drain and cobbled feature (015) in Area 8. All features were recorded and left in situ.
No further archaeological works are required in relation to this phase of the enabling works programme.
Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork
