County: Clare Site name: Scattery Island, Kilrush
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CL067-024 Licence number: E005026
Author: Dave Pollock
Site type: Monastic settlement, vicinity of
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 497450m, N 652410m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.613245, -9.514293
Additional service trenches were required for the reinstatement of the terrace of buildings known as the street, on Scattery Island. In early February five small test trenches were cut, to assess the archaeological impact of the service trenching. The findings were in line with the original impact assessment of 2020, and no further investigation was considered necessary ahead of monitoring.
Service trenching was monitored through February and early March. Midden material was encountered at the north end of the site, close to the former parish church; this is likely to be late medieval or post-medieval, at least in part predating the row of houses and probably marking the line of an early path from the shore. The street is presently a few metres from the cliffline and high water mark, but stonework in the intertidal zone suggests the medieval shore was 50m further away. No former building remains were found during the trenching.
In early November two short additional lengths of service trench were cut to complete the reinstatement of the street. Rubble found in the longer trench is unlikely to be associated with a long building shortened during the 19th century. No medieval or earlier remains were encountered.
Archaeografix, Knockrower Road, Stradbally, Co. Waterford. X42PA48
