2019:456 - Ardan, Offaly

Murphy International Ltd. (MIL) were appointed main contractor for improvement works to the Tullamore Water Supply Scheme undertaken by Irish Water. Works involved an extended reservoir, new water treatment plant and associated network upgrades. Archaeological monitoring was a condition of planning permission (16/435) and this was carried out intermittently between 11 February and 12 September 2019 with respect to all groundworks associated with the development.

The site at Ardan is located in an area of Esker gravels; deep hollows throughout the landscape suggest extraction of the gravels in the past. This was likely to have been the case for the deep hollow where the new reservoir was to be built in the southern part of the site. Topsoil stripping revealed a stratigraphy rich in these natural sands and gravels throughout the site. Evidence of recent extraction and disturbance was noted in the location of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to the north, where deposits of concrete and steel were found buried in the sand that predominated in this area.

Two areas of activity were uncovered in the vicinity of the WTP development and, after consultation with the National Monuments Service, both were preserved in situ. Area 1 was located to the south-east and comprised a series of post-medieval features (Features 1 to 5) with associated surface finds dating from the 17th/18th centuries up to relatively modern times. These were likely to have been related to domestic and agricultural activities associated with a house, illustrated on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map but demolished prior to the surveying for later editions. Area 2 was located to the north-west and consisted of a single, isolated pit (Feature 6). This was 1.5m in diameter, lined with charcoal and filled with burnt clay. No other archaeological finds, features or deposits were uncovered on the site.

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