County: Kildare Site name: Eir Exchange, Abbeyland, Clane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: Within historic town of Clane (KD014-026001--). Licence number: 22E0886
Author: Declan Moore
Site type: Urban, no archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 687796m, N 727336m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.289053, -6.683211
A programme of archaeological testing of the site of a proposed telecommunications tower development (replacement of a 15m monopole structure with a 21m monopole structure) at an existing Eir Exchange facility at Clane, Co. Kildare was completed on 9 November 2022. The subject site is located within the historic town of Clane (KD014-026001--), and roughly 18m west of the ruins of Clane Franciscan Friary (KD014-026005--) and associated recorded monuments (KD014-026010--, KD014-026014--, KD014-026012--).
The proposed development consists of the replacement of an existing telecommunications support structure with a proposed new 21m monopole carrying the telecommunications equipment transferred from the existing structure and the addition of new telecommunications antennas, dishes and associated equipment, together with new ground level equipment cabinets, new fencing, landscaping and all associated site development works on behalf of Eir (Eircom Limited). The new structure will be in a small greenfield area to the rear of the existing Exchange building.
Two test trenches were excavated. Trenches 1 and 2 were orientated roughly north-west/south-east. In general, the trenches throughout were excavated to a depth of 1m. The stratigraphy exposed was consistent in both trenches and comprised a mid-brown silty topsoil over a deposit of modern rubble with building and general refuse extending to a depth of 1m. This in turn overlay a mid-brown gravelly silty natural subsoil. A modern service pipe extended the length of Test trench 1 at a depth of 1m.
No features or finds of archaeological significance were noted during testing.
3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway
