County: Roscommon Site name: Killeen East
Sites and Monuments Record No.: RO022-170 Licence number: E005345 (Ministerial Direction: A077)
Author: Colum Hardy
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 587507m, N 786126m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.824494, -8.189750
Monitoring of preservation in situ works was carried out at the site of an enclosure (AH70; RO022-170) in the townland of Killeen East within the CPO for the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project, Co. Roscommon. The monitoring was carried out under Ministerial Direction Number A077 and Registration Number E005345. The monitoring was carried out by Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd (AMS) for Roscommon County Council (RCC) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The proposed mitigation recommended in the EIAR for AH70 (RO022-170) was preservation in situ. A design solution for this was prepared by Roughan & O’Donovan Consulting Engineers on behalf of RCC and detailed in the report ‘Preservation In Situ of Archaeological Sites’. This solution was approved by the National Monuments Service in April 2021. It involved raising the ground level above the site and the construction of a 0.25m thick, 4m wide, reinforced concrete slab over the section of the site where an access road (AC32.01) was proposed within the N5 CPO.
The total area monitored during topsoil stripping measured 42.5m east to west by 9m (382.5m2). Topsoil stripping ranged in depth from 0.1–0.2m. Nothing of archaeological significance was recorded.
Once the topsoil stripping had been completed, the initial protection of the site and the construction of the concrete slab was also monitored to ensure that there was no further disturbance to the existing ground surface. Initially, the site was protected by a layer of terram and stone. A timber shuttering was then constructed over this to contain a stone foundation and the overlying steel reinforcement and concrete. Once the concrete had been poured and set, the embankments on either side of the concrete slab were constructed. The surrounding area was then levelled and permanent fencing was erected surrounding the remaining portion of the enclosure to the north of the concrete slab within the N5 CPO.
No archaeological remains were exposed/disturbed during the course of the works and no artefacts were found during the monitoring.
Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd., Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare, V15 C780
