2019:242 - Ardgeeha Upper, Clonmel, Tipperary

This development is located c.1km to the north of Clonmel and to the west of the R689 Fethard Road, in three separate green/brown field sites. The largest, westernmost field measures 4.1 hectares. It is irregularly shaped and aligned north-south, bordered on the north by a modern wall, the east by a residential development, to the south by another residential development and on the west by green field under tillage. The middle field is an elongated L-shaped area, comprising 1.4 hectares. It is bordered on the north by detached houses, on the east by a nursery and day spa, to the south and west by Crann Ard housing and a green space associated with those developments. Finally the smallest field is located c.50m to the east of Plot A2. It is an irregular sub-rectangular area measuring 0.39 hectares.
14 trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator using a 15-tonne tracked excavator with a 1.8m grading bucket. Excavation proceeded in level spits no greater than 0.2m to the top of the first archaeological horizon if present. The topsoil was between 0.1-0.25 in depth. Large portions of the site had been subject to earlier construction activity and topsoil had apparently been removed at some places and introduced soils were also identified. This was particularly evident in Trench 1 and Trenches 10-14. Trenches 2-9 were excavated in relatively undisturbed ground. No archaeological features, material or artifacts were identified during the test excavation.

Archer Heritage Planning, 8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.