2019:022 - CARHOOMEENGAR WEST, Kenmare, Kerry

Monitoring was recommended as a condition of planning prior to the construction of a new Waste Water Treatment Plant for Kenmare town and environs. The site extends over an area measuring 120m x 110m and is located to the immediate north-east of the existing service reservoir for Kenmare, adjacent to the N71 Kenmare–Killarney road. The works involved construction of all the relevant components of a Water Treatment Plant including an upgrade to the existing reservoir. The nearest recorded archaeological sites include a metal working area (KEO93-135) and two ringforts (KEO93-OO1 & KEO93-OO2).

Monitoring of pre-construction groundworks was undertaken over a period of two months from January to February 2017. Topsoil stripping commenced at the site compound and continued in a northerly direction across the entire area of the Water Treatment Plant site. The topsoil cover was relatively thin at the compound site in the south-west corner of the development, increasing in depth from 0.5–1m in places as the works advanced towards the treatment plant site to the north. Numerous large boulders were present in the underlying subsoil, which consisted of grey sticky marl, typical of a wetlands environment. An archaeological presence was maintained throughout the removal of all topsoil and peat deposits and no sub-surface archaeological features were present in any of the excavated areas.