2024:855 - Coolcarrigan & Timahoe West, Kildare

In September 2024 archaeological testing and probing was undertaken at two locations (Area 1 & Area 2) in the vicinity of an approved development.
Archaeological probing and testing were undertaken at the site of KE008:038 (Road- Unclassified Togher) . This feature was recorded in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland Historic Environment Viewer (HEV) as “measuring 72m in length, 1m in width and 0.08m in depth, consisting of several pieces of hazel brushwood (diam. 0.01-0.025m) in a haphazard arrangement. Some evidence of burning was recorded and it is probably the destroyed remains of a more substantial structure”. No trace of this feature survives above ground and the monument is not scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP. Archaeological monitoring of cleaning down drains surrounding this feature in 2016 (License 16E0467) found no evidence of the feature.
Three trenches (30m x 1.8m) were excavated in the general area of the togher (KE008:038) to ascertain if any sub-surface archaeological remains survive . The stratigraphy encountered in all three trenches was similar and consisted of peat up to 2m deep overlying natural grey silt. No trace of any archaeological features were identified. Probing of the area at 0.5m intervals revealed peat depths of 1.5-2.5m with no definite indications of any structure below ground.

Archaeological probing and testing was undertaken to the south and west of KD009-029 (Road –Unclassified Togher). This feature is recorded in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland Historic Environment Viewer (HEV) as “a road-unclassified togher (L178.4m; Wth 3m; D 0.12m) that consisted of a number of transverse roundwoods lying on occasional longitudinal, with scatters of brushwood (diam. 0.02-0.06m) nearby. Several of the timbers were burnt”. No trace of this feature survives above ground or was evident in an examination of the existing drainage ditches and the monument was not scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP.

Three trenches (40m x 1.8m) were excavated in the general area of the togher (KE009:029) to ascertain if any sub-surface archaeological remains survive . The stratigraphy encountered in all three trenches was similar and consisted of peat ranging from 1.2m to 2.3m deep overlying natural silt. A concrete drainage pipe was located at a depth of 2.2m in Trench 2. No trace of any archaeological features were identified. Probing of the area to the immediate west and south at 0.5m intervals revealed peat depths of 1.5-2.5m with no definite indications of any structure below ground.