2022:257 - Kiltotan and Collinstown, and Oldcastle, Westmeath

The site was subject to Environmental Impact Assessment Report in 2021 that recommended test trenching. Geophysical survey of the site was recommended by ACSU and was carried out in January 2022 under licence 21R0317. Areas of possible archaeological activity were identified. The report recommended targeted test
trenching.
The site was subject to archaeological test trenching in September 2022. A total of 67 test trenches were excavated, with an additional 11 offsets to further assess exposed archaeological features. Each trench measured 1.8m in width, and in total, 5146m of linear trenches were excavated. The test trenches were excavated down to the natural subsoil or the top of archaeological remains. A mid-brown sandy clay topsoil and sod, with a combined depth of 0.1m to 0.65m, was taken down onto a natural orange boulder clay with areas of marl. Outcrops of gravel were also exposed in the south portion of the site. The geophysical anomalies identified were targeted.
Test trenching identified four area of archaeological activity, including fulacht fia/burnt mound C3 located in Field 6 and corresponding with Anomaly 6D, and three areas of archaeological activity in Field 1 including keyhole-shaped kiln C4, pit C5 and large, circular-shaped charcoal-rich pit C6. These features were clearly archaeological in nature, were covered with a protective barrier (terram) and the trenches were carefully backfilled under archaeological supervision. Linear features, some representing furrows and others corresponding with
a townland boundary (C9) and filed boundaries (such as ditches C7 and C8) were also recorded and found to be modern in nature.

Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth. A92 DH99.