2018:509 - N69 Listowel Bypass, Kerry

Stage (i) Test Excavations and Stage (i)f Townland Boundary Surveys were carried out on lands acquired for construction of the N69 Listowel Bypass Scheme, extending from Billeragh townland to Curraghatoosane townland, in Co. Kerry. The test excavations were carried out under Ministerial Direction number A076 and Registration numbers E005021 (Test Excavations) and R000493 (Metal Detection) under the directorship of Tony Bartlett and Pawel Rudzinski of Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd. The archaeological investigations were undertaken on behalf of Kerry County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Townland boundary survey:
Eleven townland boundaries intersect the route of the N69 Listowel bypass. Four of these were subject to a Type A townland boundary survey, while the remaining seven were subject to a Type B survey which included machine-excavated trenches at those boundaries. No suitable dating material was available from the excavations undertaken at the boundaries subject to Type B survey. The stream which constitutes TD03 was also the subject of a Stage (i)d Underwater Survey (Registration numbers D000025 & R000495). The stream delineates the former course of the River Feale which was realigned in the latter half of the nineteenth century to the south of TD03. Nothing of archaeological interest was found during the dive survey.

Standard test excavations:
The total area available for test excavations was approximately 21.83ha of greenfield. The scheme was divided into ten Contract Testing Areas (Area 1–Area 10) and was further subdivided by field, for recording purposes, into 25 areas (Field 1–Field 25). The total linear metres excavated was 14,754m, representing a 12% sample of the greenfield area available for test excavations. During the test trenching, eleven sites of archaeological potential were found: Billeragh 1, Coolnaleen Upper 1, Coolnaleen Lower 1, Coolnaleen Lower 2, Coolnaleen Lower 3, Coolnaleen Lower 4, Garryantanvally 1–3, Garryantanvally 4, Gortcurreen 1, Gortcurreen 2 and Curraghatoosane 1. The majority of the sites appear to be prehistoric in date and point to evidence for a relict landscape of Bronze Age date and possibly earlier. Post-medieval and possible early medieval activity was also identified along the scheme. Two of the sites (Billeragh 1 and Coolnaleen Upper 1) comprised single pit features in isolation that were fully excavated during the Stage (i) test excavation stage.
Billeragh 1 comprised a single small pit that measured 0.6m by 0.42m by 0.23m in depth and contained a single fill with occasional charcoal.
Coolnaleen Upper 1 comprised a single small pit that was interpreted at preliminary stage as a possible cremation pit. It measured 0.38m by 0.3m by 0.11m in depth and contained a single charcoal-rich fill with burnt bone and patches of oxidised silty clay throughout.
Coolnaleen Lower 1 comprised a large burnt mound situated at the location of KE010-077 (Fulacht Fiadh [site possible]) and KE010-079 (Holy Well). No other features were identified in association with the burnt mound.
Coolnaleen Lower 2 consisted of a charcoal-production pit, a charcoal spread and a small charcoal-rich pit containing burnt bone.
Coolnaleen Lower 3 comprised two small pits, one of which was charcoal-rich and contained burnt bone.
Coolnaleen Lower 4 consisted of a series of seven pits and a post-hole containing charcoal-rich fills. This activity may represent possible habitation activity associated with ringfort KE010-075 located c.75m west-north-west of the site.
Garryantanvally 1–3 comprised three burnt mounds. A number of wooden drains were also discovered at this site.
Garryantanvally 4 consisted of a single burnt mound.
Gortcurreen 1 comprised a group of ex-situ worked timbers that may represent the remains of a water mill.
Gortcurreen 2 consisted of a single hearth feature containing charcoal and burnt bone.
Curraghatoosane 1 comprised the wall foundations of a nineteenth-century vernacular structure.
No objects of archaeological interest were identified during metal detecting. The only finds were modern (e.g., iron nails, barbed wire, aluminium cans and undiagnostic pieces of metal).
Apart from Billeragh 1 and Coolnaleen Upper 1, which have been excavated as part of the Stage (i) services, construction works on site will result in the total removal of the remaining nine sites. Therefore, the remaining sites as defined by the Stage (i) testing are recommended for Stage (ii) pre-excavation preparatory work and full excavation as part of the Stage (iii) works. This is due to be undertaken during 2019.
A Stage (i)l Palaeo-environmental Coring Assessment was carried out by Dr Karen Molloy in conjunction with the fieldwork undertaken for the Stage (i) Test Excavations. The investigations were undertaken in Derra West Bog, c. 1.2km to the north-west of the Listowel Bypass. On the basis of two radiocarbon dates obtained from the investigations it appears that the lower section of the core extends into the Bronze Age, while the upper part extends into medieval and most likely into modern times. Further analysis of the core will be undertaken in 2019.

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