2020:183 - Blackhall Place/Dominick Place, Mullingar, Westmeath

Archaeological monitoring of all ground works and the demolition of a wall was carried out at Blackhall Place/Dominick Place, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. The demolition of the wall was monitored. It was investigated prior to and following the demolition and no architectural fragments from earlier periods were noted.

All ground works within the site were monitored. This included the excavation of 59 pits/trenches that varied in size and measured between 0.68-3.15m in length, 0.6-1.55m in width, and were excavated to a depth ranging between 0.15-1.18m, with three excavated to a depth of c. 2m (Pits/Trenches 57-59). Where exposed, the natural (C3) varied from an orange/yellow silty clay to a soft grey clay and grey clayey sand, this was sealed by a brown to grey silty clay (C2) with frequent inclusions of rubbish. The topsoil (C1) consisted of highly disturbed dark brown silty clay with inclusions of construction rubbish, concrete, plastic and domestic rubbish. Three deposits of dumped construction material were noted (C4, C5, C6). The excavation exposed two walls (C8, C9), one was deemed to be of post-medieval date (C9), while the other (C8) was exposed sitting on the top of a cobbled surface (C7). Both walls and the cobbled surface were exposed within the northern extent of the site, within a plot where buildings are depicted since the 1st edition 6-inch Ordnance Survey 1836 map. The features exposed likely relate to these 19th-century structures.

The investigation exposed no features, structures, deposits or finds of archaeological significance. The work is now complete and no further archaeological work is recommended.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth.