County: Carlow Site name: Green Road, Carlow
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 22E0862
Author: Fiona Reilly & Seán Shanahan; Shanarc Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 671942m, N 675836m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.828673, -6.932445
Archaeological test-excavations were carried out as part of an Archaeological Impact Assessment, relating to the potential development of a c. 0.2-hectare site at Green Road, Carlow Town.
The plot is located close to the site of the former Carlow Union Workhouse (established 1842), where mass burial pits dating to the Great Famine were uncovered in 2021; the plot borders the north side of a recorded burial ground associated with the workhouse. The subject site therefore, was considered as having potential for unmarked human burials to be present.
Prior to test-excavation the site was subjected to a geophysical survey under licence no. 22R0409. The majority of the geophysical survey data related to modern disturbance, though a number of potential archaeological anomalies were identified. Most of the potential archaeological anomalies identified were interpreted as possible small to medium sized pit-type features; based on their size and orientation, there was no immediate suggestion that they could represent potential burials associated with adjacent burial ground.
Archaeological test-excavations comprised the excavation of 5 test-trenches; these trenches targeted the anomalies identified as potential archaeology in the geophysical survey; excavated trenches measured 5-20m in length, 1.8m in width and 0.35-1.8m in depth. Identified features comprised a number of modern rubbish pits.
A metal detection survey under licence no. 23R0085, was conducted in tandem with the test excavations and examined all excavated material. A number of modern metal finds were identified, including an iron kettle, fragments of a copper alloy pot, horseshoes, a brass bullet casing, multiple nails, wires and pipes.
Aside from the various modern metal items, finds comprised frequent red-brick fragments, modern glass and pottery fragments, a small amount of animal bones and a small number of clay pipe fragments.
No archaeological features or deposits were noted during testing.
Unit 39a, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny
