2024:433 - Moveen West, Clare

As part of an archaeological assessment, a testing licence was required for the proposed construction of new sheds and the demolition of old sheds associated with the upgrading of a farmyard along with the associated ancillary works in the townland of Moveen West, Kilkee, Co. Clare due to the proximity of a Ringfort, CL065-020004, located 20m directly north of the site, another Ringfort, CL065-02003, located 95m to the west and a Ring Barrow, CL065-021 located 85m to the east.

The site was monitored on 16 September 2024. It was a dry sunny day with occasional heavy showers. The topsoil was removed using a 1.5m-wide grading bucket.  All 8 trenches were excavated.

Trenches 1 to 4 were located to the south of Ringfort CL065-020004. Trench 1 was located under a farm passage while Trenches 2 to 4 were in a green field. Prior to testing the farmer informed me that water pipes and a drainage pipe were crossing the area. All four trenches measured 20m north-south.

In Trench 1 c. 0.3m of stone (shale) was removed to reveal the subsoil. The interface was poor due to previous works. The layer of stone (C.1) was imported from a quarry 6km from site. The subsoil, C.2, was a compact yellowish-grey clay with a low density of stone. One drainage pipe and 3 water pipes were found in this trench.

Trenches 2 to 4 were located west of the farm passage in a green field. The topsoil (C.3) was a light grey-brown loose dry silty clay with a low density of stones. The subsoil, as with Trench 1, was a compact yellowish-grey clay with a low density of stone. The line of the drainage pipe was present in Trenches 2 to 4.

Trenches 5 to 8 were located in a small field east of the current farm. The landowner informed me prior to testing that this field used to be the garden and a lot of organic material produced on the yard was spread onto this field to provide nutrients for the vegetables grown here.  The trenches here ran east-west and had an average length of 21m. The topsoil (C.4) was dark brown/black loose peaty silt. Modern agricultural debris (plastic and twine) was mixed into the topsoil. It varied in depth from 0.4m to 0.55m in one area. The interface between the layers was poor and intermixing of material had occurred. The subsoil (C.2) was a compact yellowish-grey clay with a low density of stone.

No archaeological features or deposits were noted in the exposed subsoil.