County: Clare Site name: Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Crossing and R494 Improvement Scheme
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E005104
Author: Padraig Dunne
Site type: Testing, multi-period
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 570593m, N 672173m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.799750, -8.436078
Phase 1 archaeological test trenching within the CPO corridor of the Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Crossing and R494 Improvements Scheme in Counties Clare and Tipperary were carried out on a phased basis between September 2019 and January 2020 as individual fields became available for investigation. The works were conducted under Ministerial Direction ref: A000078 (Reg. No.: E005104) and included the use of a metal-detector to assist in artefact retrieval (Reg. No. R000519). The investigations comprised centre-line test trenching with off-shoot trenches to the edge of the CPO at 15m intervals. A total of 121 (2m wide) test trenches were excavated and examined 6,214 linear meters (equivalent to 12,428m²) of the road corridor.
Potential archaeological features were uncovered in seven out of a total of eighteen fields investigated during Phase 1 testing and, in summary, these comprised the following:
• A cluster of 15 potential features (pits and post-holes) were identified within Field 2 at Knockyclovaun townland.
• Three potential post-holes, a small burnt deposit and a pit were identified within Field 4 at Knockyclovaun townland.
• Three potential stake-holes, a post-hole and two small deposits were identified within Field 5 at Knockyclovaun townland.
• A small pit feature, a post-hole and a curvilinear feature were identified within Field 9 at Knockyclovaun townland.
• Two burnt spreads and the truncated remains of a shallow mill-race channel backfilled in the 20th century were identified within Field 11 at Shantraud townland.
• A small burnt deposit and a potential pit feature were uncovered in Field 12 at Shantraud townland.
• A small burnt deposit was uncovered in Field 17 at Knockadromin townland.
In addition to the above, a number of archaeological artefacts were uncovered during the programme of test trenching. These comprised a whetstone recovered near the burnt deposit in Field 17, a fragment of chert debitage from the ploughsoil/subsoil interface in Field 5, an 1805 coin from Field 3 and a possible chert blade uncovered from a potential archaeological deposit in Field 2.
John Cronin & Associates, Unit 3A Westpoint Trade Centre, Ballincollig, Cork
