County: Leitrim Site name: Summerhill Road, Townparks, Carrick-on-Shannon
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LE031-005 Licence number: 23E0592
Author: Patrick Walsh
Site type: Historic Town
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 594012m, N 799747m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.947010, -8.091215
Archaeological monitoring of groundworks was undertaken for Uisce Éireann’s Water Network Programme in Summerhill, County Leitrim, located along Summerhill Road in the townland of Townparks in Carrick-on-Shannon. In order to identify any subsurface archaeological objects, features or deposits that may have potentially existed along the scheme route, it was proposed to monitor any ground excavation works to be carried out for the construction works along the route within the ZoN for the historic town of Carrick-on-Shannon (LE031- 005). The monitoring was carried out between 19–31 July 2023.
Excavation of an open-cut trench along Summerhill Road within the ZoN for the historic town plus an additional 20m along the route to the northeast for a total of 180m was monitored under continuous supervision. The main open-cut trench was excavated from the junction at the Dublin Road in a north-east direction along Summerhill Road. The roadbed monitored measured 180m long, 0.7m wide and 1.2m deep. The ground was previously disturbed by multiple existing services. Along the north-west end of the trench, underlying the modern street surface at 0.1m below ground level (BGL), was a 0.4m deep layer of a dark-grey stony maintenance modern infill material, overlying a terram (geotextile) layer which covered a 0.4m deep layer of mid-greyish clay with frequent angular stone inclusions. Underneath this was stone, presumably bedrock, at 1.3m BGL. Towards the centre and the north-west end of the trench underlying the modern street surface at 0.1m BGL was a 1.2m deep layer of a dark brownish clay with frequent angular large stones.
Four lines to facilitate house connections were also monitored. They were excavated perpendicular to the main trench. These trenches cut through the modern street surface; they were 0.6m wide 5m long and 1.2m deep. The soil beneath the street surface was a light brownish clay with some small angular stone inclusions. Nothing of archaeological interest was encountered.
Fahy's Road, Kilrush, Co Clare.
