2017:375 - Monroe East, Ardfinnan, Tipperary

The proposed solar PV array site is located in the townland of Monroe East, Co. Tipperary, approximately 0.8 km south of Ardfinnan and 12 kms south-west of Clonmel. A geophysical survey of the proposed solar farm site was undertaken (Licence 16R0193) in December 2016. Targeted archaeological testing of the geophysical anomalies was subsequently undertaken in January/February 2017. A total of 18 trenches were excavated within the proposed solar farm site using a 13-tonne mechanical excavator utilising a 2m wide grading bucket across the areas where geophysical anomalies had been detected. The north-western portion of the site was excluded from testing as it is no longer forming part of the development area. A number of features were exposed within the excavated trenches, some of which were subject to manual investigation.

One distinct area of high archaeological potential was exposed in Trenches 2 and 3 adjacent to what is now the northern site boundary. A total of 22 potential archaeological features were exposed here, the majority of which were clustered towards the eastern end of Trench 2. Some manual investigation of the features was undertaken and confirmed that they are archaeological in nature, being filled with charcoal-rich material containing slag and burnt bone. Their proximity to the adjacent unexcavated features (possible pits, stake-holes and linear features) would strongly suggest that they form an area of intense activity, the full form and extent of which has not been determined. The precise date of the features is also unknown as readily dateable material such as pottery was not recovered.

Further to the west a second area of archaeological potential was noted in Trench 8 where at least three potential archaeological features were exposed. While manual investigation showed that the features were very shallow, it is possible that they comprise another area of activity, albeit of unknown date and form.

Elsewhere, the majority of the features uncovered within the test trenches comprised linear features which were generally orientated north-east/south-west, particularly in Trenches 5, 6 and 7. Manual investigation of some of these features did not provide any dating evidence. It is possible that they are agricultural in nature, given their similar orientation.

The southern end of the proposed development area did not produce the same level of activity in terms of potential features. The linear feature (F36) exposed within Trench 14 was sterile and did not produce any dateable finds. It does not correspond to any of the field boundaries shown on the various editions of the historic OS mapping and therefore is of unknown date and function.

Similarly, the linear feature F37 investigated in Trench 15 towards the north-east side of the site does not correspond to any boundary indicated on the historic mapping and again did not produce any dateable material.

While the date of these features is in question, their form, particularly those at the west side of the site, does not imply that they functioned as enclosing features such as a ditch around the ecclesiastical site of Lady’s Abbey (TS088-005). This potential function was suggested in the geophysical survey report, however the physical remains uncovered within test Trenches 5-8 does not support this theory. It is possible that they are agricultural in function given that they are linear in form, similarly orientated and parallel, however, this cannot be conclusively stated.

Following a client review of the archaeological findings within the proposed development site the proposed array layout and construction methodology was amended to minimize potential direct impacts to the areas of archaeological potential identified. In this regard, it was proposed to utilize concrete mounted solar arrays over an area measuring c. 84m north-south x 200m incorporating the location of test Trenches 1-7. Changes to the proposed array layout excluded Trench 8. Furthermore, cables were proposed to be clipped to the underside of the concrete mounted arrays to further remove the requirement for ground works in the areas of archaeological potential.

Tobar Archaeological Services, Saleen, Midleton, Co. Cork