County: Cork Site name: Mohera, Castlelyons
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 17E0001
Author: Patricia Long, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 584585m, N 593188m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.090401, -8.224942
Test excavations were carried out on behalf Meridiem Renewables Limited at Mohera, Castlelyons, Co. Cork in response to a request for further information to enable the Planning Authority give further consideration to the development of a solar array (Planning Reg. No. 17/04369).
The proposed development comprises a solar PV panel array with an export capacity of 5MV comprising approximately 19,000 photovoltaic panels on ground mounted frames within a site area of 11.0 ha, 4 single storey inverter/transformer stations, 1 single storey DSO substation, 1 single storey customer substation with 1 communications pole attached, 1 single spares building, boundary security fencing, CCTV, associated electrical cabling and ducting, alteration to existing entrance to include access gates, access track and all associated ancillary development and landscaping works on land. A detailed historical, archaeological and cartographic analysis of the location of the proposed development was carried out in July 2016. This assessment concluded “that the potential archaeological impact of the proposed development will be slight, but highlights the possibility of a village settlement in the area.”, and recommended geophysical survey and targeted test trenching of the proposed development site (Cotter 2016).
A Geophysical Survey (Fluxgate Magnetometry), Licence No. 16R0179, was undertaken Enda O’Flaherty and Jonathan Millar (Rubicon Heritage Limited) between 17-21 September 2016. The archaeo-geophysical survey site covered an area of approximately 10.9 ha. The primary objective of the survey was to identify archaeological remains within the proposed development area. The survey was affected to some extent by the presence of electric fencing on the boundaries of the site which caused interference. Where the survey results were clear, geophysical responses of low and moderate archaeological potential were identified, with a particular concentration of geophysical responses to the eastern limit of the proposed development site.
Linear agricultural features were identified in all fields. These were orientated roughly north-south, 0.45m in width, 0.15m deep and regularly spaced approximately 2m apart. Two of these linear features were slightly wider at 0.5m and 1m deep and most likely represent a drainage system. Overall these features indicate an old ridge and furrow, or lazy-bed field system predating the current field layout.
No archaeological features were identified during the test excavations.
Cotter, E. 2016 Desktop archaeological assessment of proposed solar farm development at Mohera, Castlelyons, Co. Cork.
Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork
