2023:565 - The Tobar Caoin & Salt Pans scheme, Dunglow, Donegal

The Tobar Caoin & Salt Pans scheme in Co. Donegal forms part of a larger nationwide Water Network Programme that is being undertaken by Uisce Éireann. The scheme involved the installation of c.740m of new water mains within the existing road carriageway and the decommissioning of c.709m of existing pipeline. The groundworks for the scheme consisted of trial holes as part of advance site investigations, access pits to facilitate the directional drilling method and sections of open-cut trenching located along an existing unnamed local road (L1723 and L17233) located c.4.8km to the southwest of An Clochán Liath (Dunglow) in the townlands of Saltpans (An Reannaigh Dhubh) and Toberkeen (Tobar Caoin), Co. Donegal. The monitoring followed a high-level Cultural Heritage Screening Report (CHSR) undertaken for the schemes by Archaeological Management Solutions. The CHSR found that the Tobar Caoin & Salt Pans scheme would not impact any Recorded Monuments listed on the Record of Monuments and Places or sites listed on the Sites and Monuments Record. The CHSR recommended archaeological monitoring along 190m of the western section of the scheme (Salt Pans), in proximity to Lough (Loch) Beg; along the westernmost 16m of the eastern section of the scheme, in the vicinity of the stream and culvert (CH01 and CH02) associated with the townland boundary, and at the location of the possible culvert (CH03) and 20m either side due to potential for archaeological remains to be present at these locations.

The archaeological monitoring was carried out intermittently between 27 October 2022 and 15 February 2024. The installation method used was directional drilling. Excavation of three trial holes, two access pits to facilitate the directional drilling installation method and a section of opencut trench totalling c.15m to facilitate a house connection were monitored. No potential archaeological objects, features and deposits were found during the monitoring of the Tobar Caoin & Salt Pans scheme’s route.

AMS, Fahy's Road, Kilrush, Co Clare.