County: Tipperary Site name: Ballykerin
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TS055-027 Licence number: 19E0492
Author: Mary Henry
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 628060m, N 647452m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.577637, -7.586003
As part of the planning permission process, a programme of archaeological testing was undertaken on the site of a cattle underpass and all associated site works at Ballykerin, Ballingarry. The underpass was required to facilitate the movement of cattle beneath a busy, regional public road. In addition to the underpass, a new farm track was constructed on either side of the structure. The section of the track exiting the north-eastern end of the underpass was in the same field where a castle site and earthworks are located. No archaeological features and/or remains were uncovered in the course of testing.
A trench was opened on either side of the underpass, on the route of the proposed access farm track which will exit the underpass at either end and tie into existing internal farm roads. Apart from a series of field drains, nothing of note was revealed. The presence of such land drains was not surprising given the site was waterlogged within the vicinity of the public road. In addition to the stream there are a number of springs in the vicinity. The presence of a mixed deposit of infill at the south-western end of Trench 2 appears to relate to the farm improvement works in the early 1970s where material from elsewhere in the field was removed to this area as part of levelling works and to improve drainage (pers. comm. landowner).
17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
