2019:566 - Ballyclerahan, Tipperary

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Tipperary Site name: Ballyclerahan

Sites and Monuments Record No.: TS076-016 Licence number: 19E0580

Author: Mary Henry

Site type: No archaeology found

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 615085m, N 629463m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.416464, -7.778248

As part of the planning permission process, a programme of archaeological testing was undertaken on the proposed site of a dwelling house, garage, driveway and associated site works at Ballyclerahan, Clonmel. The site is situated on the opposite side of the public road to a well-preserved deserted medieval settlement, incorporating a church, graveyard and earthworks.

As part of the archaeological impact assessment a Geophysical Survey was undertaken, the results of which guided the programme of testing. Three trenches were opened on the site to determine the provenance of anomalies identified by a Geophysical Survey. Trench Nos. 1 and 2 were positioned to investigate two areas of manganese concentrations identified in the Geophysical Survey, whilst test trench No. 3 was opened to try and determine the provenance of a possible trackway.

Testing revealed no deposits of archaeological provenance. Stratigraphy in trench Nos 1 and 2 revealed extensive ground improvement works upon the landscape, with evidence of extensive re-deposition of soil within the area. The landowner confirmed that an earthen bank field boundary, which extended parallel to the public road and was denoted on earlier Ordnance Survey maps, was removed approximately 25 years ago. The soil from the earthen field boundary was used to fill a winter pond in the north-east part of the field with the area becoming very dry in summer. Results of these two trenches confirmed that this area had been in-filled within relatively recent times, with the contents of the bank slumped in to seal the pond hollow whilst the continual natural water seepage at the base of test trench No. 1 would also substantiate evidence of a winter pond.

No evidence of a trackway was identified within the third trench opened, however, a linear anomaly was revealed extending across the trench at the location of a geophysical response. When partially investigated it contained a single deposit of pure sand. It should be noted no associated cut was identified within the section and nothing of an archaeological nature can be attributed to it at present, and is considered to be a geological anomaly.

17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary