County: Westmeath Site name: Fore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WM04:035 Licence number: E004463
Author: Jacinta Kiely, Eachtra Archaeological Projects Ltd
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 651278m, N 770765m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.684090, -7.223752
Ministerial consent (E4421 for OPW managed lands and E4463 for all other lands) was granted by the DAHG for enhancement and improvement works to the public amenity area at Fore, Co. Westmeath. Archaeological monitoring of ground disturbance associated with the enhancement and improvement works to the public amenity area were undertaken previously by the author on an intermittent basis in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Westmeath County Council and Fore Heritage Group have developed a 3km looped walkway, that is a combination of on-road and off-road, in Fore. It begins in the public car park at Fore Abbey, extends north through the grounds of Fore Abbey, extends on road along the L 5637, travels east off road past the motte and bailey and south to re-join the public road near Fore National School and back through the village.
The final phase of work associated with the looped walk comprised the construction of a footpath, approximately 210m in length, along the L 5637 north-east of Fore Abbey (WM004-0350010-). This is the last remaining part of the on road section of the walk to require a footpath.
The sod and some residual topsoil was removed by machine, to a depth of between 0.2-0.3m, from the verge on the eastern side of the road in order to form a level surface for a new footpath. Gravel was then laid on this surface. The verge north of the bridge measured between 2-3m in width while the verge south of the bridge was much narrower measuring between 1-1.5m in width. A mixture of black clay with gravel underlay the sod north of the bridge. To the immediate north of the bridge the ground comprised modern fill which had been dumped here in the recent past. A mixture of brown clay and yellow sandy clay underlay the sod to the south of the bridge. The material that was removed was mounded on the edge of the road prior to removal. It was assessed by a metal detector but only a few modern scrap metal fragments were identified.
No archaeological stratigraphy, features or artefacts were recorded while monitoring the removal of soil along the length of the new footpath.
Lickybeg, Clashmore Co Waterford P36 WA44
