2017:415 - Foynes Port and Durnish Td., Shannon, Limerick

Archaeological assessment was undertaken as an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Cultural Heritage Section of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the proposed Capacity Extension and Harbour Development project within Shannon Foynes Port.

The project comprises the construction of a new jetty between the existing East Jetty and West Quay, within Shannon Foynes Port, and the development of lands to the south-east of the port estate, within Durnish Townland. The study area encompassed subtidal, inter-tidal, and terrestrial components that extend across three areas of the project design, namely:
• Area 1, a 145m (north-south) x 38m area of inter-tidal foreshore located to the west of West Quay.
• Area 2, a 130m (north-south) x 237m area of inter-tidal foreshore and sub-tidal riverbed located between/behind the existing East Jetty and West Quay.
• Area 3, a 797m (north-south) x 547m parcel of land (Durnish Td.) located immediately to the south-east of the eastern limit of the existing boundary of the port estate.

The proposed jetty extension works will include: the removal and relocation of the existing small-craft landing pontoon to an area identified on the west side of the existing West Quay; construction of an open pile jetty structure, with suspended concrete deck, between the west terminus of the East Jetty and the east terminus of West Quay, tying-into same; and a transition slab to provide access from the open pile jetty structure to the Berth 5 reclamation area (this reclamation being a previously permitted development). These foreshore development areas are located within a Special Area of Conservation and have also been subject to classification as a Natural Heritage Area. Both areas lie adjacent to a Special Protection Area that encompasses the wider River Shannon Estuary.

The development of the land adjacent to the port estate, in Durnish Townland, is to comprise the in-filling of the existing greenfield site with imported fill material, raising ground levels above the floodplain to facilitate the insertion of warehousing, storage and other port-related infrastructure.

The archaeological assessment is based on a desktop review of existing archival and published information, interpretation of the results of geotechnical site investigations works undertaken for the project, and an on-site inspection of the relevant green-field, foreshore, quayside, and underwater areas.

The desktop assessment indicates the presence of a range of prehistoric and more recent archaeological sites within the wider area of Foynes Port, including the site of two fish traps to the east at Durnish Point, which have been recorded on Ordnance Survey maps since the 19th century. However there are no known archaeological sites or features within the present port development areas.

The onsite assessment was comprehensive and comprised the systematic non-disturbance assessment of the areas surrounding the proposed construction impacts associated with the port development (Areas 1-3), extending significantly beyond the identified limits of each of those impacts. The assessment provides a thorough background to the maritime landscape present, records the general topography of the areas under assessment, assesses the potential of deposits from those areas to retain archaeological material, and identifies any material, features or structures of archaeological or historic significance that are present.

Visual inspection of the Durnish greenfield site and the inter-tidal foreshore areas within the port was undertaken on 13 February 2018. The underwater assessment of the sub-tidal area between the East Jetty and West Quay was carried out on 16 February 2017.

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