2020:178 - Templeshannon, Enniscorthy, Wexford

A programme of archaeological monitoring was carried out between 27 and 30 October 2020, undertaken as part of the planning phase for a new pedestrian bridge in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. The new bridge will have a span of c.70m between Island Road (N11) and the leisure centre car park in Templeshannon to the north-east. The suspended design of the bridge ensures no ‘in-channel’ works will be undertaken during its construction. The proposed development site falls within the Zone of Notification for the medieval historic core of Enniscorthy (WX020-031----).

Most of the upper stratigraphy within the excavated slit trenches was the product of trench infill following the earlier insertion of watermains, sewers and communication lines. Underlying, and also truncated by the modern infilling, was a layer of mottled light yellow/brown silty clay which was most likely associated with the elevation of the existing road over the adjacent railway bridge in the mid-19th century. Brick fragments and a clay pipe stem were recovered from this layer. The layer was not bottomed-out in any of the excavated trenches and the basal footings of a modern wall were uncovered within its matrix in Slit Trench 3. Within Slit Trench 2, an infill layer containing demolition debris was uncovered at a depth 0.4m below the existing surface level and this was also truncated throughout by existing services. The layer consisted of a greyish brown silty clay with frequent brick and rubble stone inclusions, as well as occasional fragments of animal bone, metal nails and clay pipe stems. This layer is most likely associated with late 19th- or early 20th-century streetscape works. The upcast spoil from all trenches was spread and scanned for artefacts with the aid of a metal detector (Detection Device Licence ref. 20R0130).

John Cronin & Associates, 3A Westpoint Trade Centre, Ballincollig, Co. Cork