2019:190 - Slaney Bridge, Bridge Street, Tullow, Carlow

Monitoring of trench excavation works associated with the creation of pedestrian walkways at Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow were undertaken on an intermittent basis during the months of November and December 2018 and January to March 2019. An earlier phase of site investigations (see No. 207:192) carried out in September 2017 under Licence 17E0385 comprised the manual excavation of two test pits within a confined planted area in the lawn of a Methodist church. The test pits did not reveal any features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological significance.
Groundworks entailed the excavation of 160m of ESB ducting and 11m of EIR ducting at various locations along Thomas Traynor Road, Abbey Street and Bridge Street. In addition, a number of test pits and junction box trenches were also excavated along these streets as well as foundation trenches for new boundary walls and existing step realignments on the north and south side of the bridge. Most of the soil identified in the trenches was the product of trench infill following the earlier insertion of watermains, sewers and telecom lines. The only features of note were a post-medieval pit and soil layer uncovered along Thomas Traynor Road and a stone culvert uncovered in the centre of Trench 2 on Abbey Street. The culvert extended northwards towards the river Slaney for 8m before being incorporated into the existing sewer system at the bridge. Dating of the culvert proved problematical as the finds from the silted fill were all modern in nature and suggested the structure was still flowing up to quite recently. A post-medieval date is suggested for this feature based on stylistic comparisons with existing Slaney Bridge flood water culverts. The culvert was not impacted by development works.

John Cronin & Associates, Unit 3A Westpoint Trade Centre, Ballincollig, Co. Cork