County: Westmeath Site name: Athlone & Bigmeadow
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WM029-042002 Licence number: E004955. Ministerial Consent C000857
Author: Martin Fitzpatrick
Site type: Adjacent to Athlone Castle
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 603846m, N 741449m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.423140, -7.942137
As part of the proposed re-design of an element of the Athlone Flood Alleviation Scheme archaeological pre-development testing was undertaken in November 2019. Testing involved the excavation of a single trench 10m in length and 2.2m in width along the line of the proposed re-design element adjacent to and abutting the south-eastern tower of the Athlone castle’s bawn wall (WM029-042002-, National Monument No. 520). The findings in the west of the trench revealed that the castle foundations were formed of a stone fill that extended 1m out from the tower wall and filled with loose stone of various sizes. A single fragment of red brick recovered from the fill beneath the tower would suggest a later construction or alteration date for this structure.
The original river bed (C1020) level was encountered below the stone fill (C1010) at a depth of 1.5-1.6m. Immediately above this level a layer of grey sandy clay (C1016) extended for a length of c. 5m and contained occasional animal bone fragments and red brick. The stratigraphy encountered in the eastern half of the trench was very different and comprised of a deep (1.1m) layer of marl (C1017) that was located directly below the modern paving and concrete foundations (C1000 & C1004). The marl overlay a stone and brick constructed structure (C1019) that on examination was found to be an extension of the 19th-century stone culvert that runs along the Quay and is utilised for the sewer network. The culvert had been encountered previously in monitoring excavations along the quay associated with the flood defence scheme. The deposit of marl (C1018) directly above the culvert would suggest that a deliberate attempt was made to prevent water seepage from the river and was an earlier flood defence at this location.
Finds from the testing consisted mainly of animal bone fragments and brick fragments from the lower levels of the trench. Specialist reports on these will be undertaken and submitted as part of the final report.
Old Church Street, Athenry, County Galway
