County: Westmeath Site name: Athlone town Irish Rail site
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WH29-042 Licence number: 19E0032
Author: Jerry O'Sullivan, TII Archaeologist
Site type: Urban brownfield site, construction monitoring
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 603840m, N 741942m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.427571, -7.942221
The National Galway to Dublin Cycleway will cross a live railway line in the northern outskirts of Athlone town. A railway underpass is being built by Irish Rail at the crossing point. A brownfield site adjacent to the railway line is being used as a construction compound by Irish Rail. This was most recently used for informal dumping; it was previously the site of an abbatoir (mid 20th century); before that it was farmland.
The writer monitored topsoil stripping on the site by Irish Rail in January 2019. A disturbed (A horizon) topsoil with numerous modern inclusions overlay a disturbed clay-silt (B horizon) subsoil. Stiff grey alluvial clay (C horizon) subsoil was exposed in a few services trenches and test-pits. The water table was at c. 1.3-1.5m below present ground level. A few remnant agricultural furrows were recorded at the base of the topsoil in the east end of the site. Otherwise there were no archaeological features or deposits, and no archaeological objects.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8
