2024:748 - Foynes to Limerick Road (including Adare Bypass), Stage (i), Section D, Limerick

Stage (i)a Standard Test Excavations, Stage (i)c Test Excavations in Wetland and Stage (i)f Townland Boundary Surveys were undertaken by Archaeological Management Solutions on behalf of Limerick City and County Council (LCCC), sponsored by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), within Section D of the Foynes to Limerick Road (including Adare Bypass), Co. Limerick under Ministerial Direction No. A000084 between 28 March and 31 October 2024. The vast majority of the testing was completed on 16 May 2024 with the exception of some small sections of the project. These included Test Excavation Areas TE_D013 and TE_D014 (2–14 August 2024) where additional geophysical survey was undertaken to establish the full extent of the site of Croagh 4. Some small-scale, limited testing under a number of overhead ESB powerlines also took place at Test Excavation Areas TE_D014 (11 June 2024), TE_D022 (28 August 2024) and TE_D044 (28 August 2024). Following the removal of a large stockpile of stone in TE_D041 five additional trenches were excavated on 31 October 2024.

The archaeological testing was carried out in the townlands of Rathkeale, Rathkeale Commons, Blossomhill, Croagh Commons, Clogh West, Clogh East, Ballycannon, Croagh, Graigue, Clonshire More, Tuogh, Kilknockan, Curraghbeg, Islandea, Curraghbridge, Mondellihy, Gortnagrour, Kilgobbin and Wolfesburgess East, of which the Lands Made Available (LMA) for archaeological testing totalled an area of 1,244,067m² (124.4ha). In total 2,240 test trenches were undertaken, covering c.12.9% of the Stage (i)a, c.11.5% of the Stage (i)c and c.7% of the Stage (i)m areas of the development footprint for Section D, totalling 78,463 linear metres.

During the Stage (i)a, (i)c and (i)m testing, an initial 95 sites of archaeological interest were found. Subsequently five of these sites were deemed as being non-archaeological and did not progress to Stage (iii) excavations, leaving a total of 90 sites of archaeological interest.

The archaeological sites recorded were:

Ballycannon 1: a single pit; Ballycannon 2: a single pit, Ballycannon 3: a single pit, Ballycannon 4: a single pit, Ballycannon 5: a linear ditch, Ballycannon 6: a single pit, Ballycannon 7: a single pit, Ballycannon 8: a charcoal-production pit and a pit, Ballycannon 9: a single pit, Ballycannon 10: a charcoal-production pit and a pit, Ballycannon 11: a charcoal-production pit, Blossomhill 1: a burnt mound, Blossomhill 2: a single pit, Clogh East 1: a charcoal-production pit, Clogh East 2: a charcoal-production pit, Clogh East 3: a single pit, Clogh East 4: a dry stone well, Clogh East 5: a charcoal-rich pit, Clogh West 1: a pit with metalworking residue, Clogh West 2: two possible cremation pits, Clogh West 3: three possible cremation pits, Clogh West 4: a burnt mound and pits, Clogh West 5: a charcoal-production pit, Clonshire More 1: a burnt mound, Clonshire More 2: a charcoal-production pit, Clonshire More 3: a charcoal-production pit, Clonshire More 4: a charcoal-production pit, Clonshire More 5: two charcoal-production pits, Clonshire More 6: a charcoal-production pit, Clonshire More 7: a charcoal-production pit, Croagh 1: a single pit, Croagh 2: two pits, Croagh 3: pits and post-holes, Croagh 4: enclosure and possible burial ground, Croagh 5: burnt mound, Croagh 6: two hearths and two pits, Croagh 7: a hearth and two pits, Croagh 8: an enclosure, Croagh 9: a burnt pit, Croagh 10: a single pit, Croagh 11: a burnt mound, Croagh 12: a single pit, Croagh 13: a charcoal-rich pit, Croagh 14: a single pit, Croagh 15: a series of pits, Croagh 16: an enclosure, Croagh 17: a single pit, Croagh 18: a single pit, Croagh 19: a burnt mound, Croagh 20: a single pit, Curraghbeg 1: an enclosure, Curraghbeg 2: a charcoal-production pit, Curraghbridge 1: a charcoal-production pit, Curraghbridge 2: a charcoal-production pit, Curraghbridge 3: a charcoal-production pit, Gortnagrour 1: a burnt spread, charcoal-production pit and pits, Gortnagrour 2: a burnt spread and charcoal-production pit, Gortnagrour 3: a charcoal-production pit, Gortnagrour 4: a charcoal-production pit, Gortnagrour 5: a charcoal-production pit, Gortnagrour 6: a charcoal-production pit, Graigue 1: a burnt mound, Graigue 2: a single pit, Islandea 1: a burnt mound, Islandea 2: a possible kiln and pit, Kilgobbin 1: a pit, a linear feature and a ditch, Kilgobbin 2: a single pit, Kilgobbin 3: an enclosure, Kilgobbin 4: an enclosure and associated features, Kilgobbin 5: a single pit, Kilgobbin 6: a single pit, Kilknockan 2: a charcoal-production pit, Kilknockan 7: a burnt mound, Kilknockan 8: a moated site, Mondellihy 1: a burnt mound, Mondellihy 2: a burnt mound, Mondellihy 3: a burnt mound, Mondellihy 4: a burnt mound, Mondellihy 5: a burnt mound, Mondellihy 6: two burnt mounds, Mondellihy 7: a single pit, Mondellihy 8: a burnt mound, Rathkeale 1: two burnt mounds and a pit, Rathkeale 2: three pits, a cremation pit, a slot trench and a linear feature, Rathkeale 3: a single pit, Rathkeale 4: a single pit, Rathkeale 5: two pits and four post-holes, Rathkeale 6: a cremation pit, Tuogh 3: a charcoal-production pit and a pit and Tuogh 4: two pits and a cremation pit.

The site of Clogh East 4 (a dry stone well) was identified and recorded as part of Stage (i) Test Excavations with no further archaeological works required at this site. Kilgobbin 5 was an isolated pit in a narrow strip of the LMA and was fully excavated as part of Stage (i) services. The majority of the sites constituted pits (including cremation pits) at 37 sites or c.41.1% of the total. Charcoal-production pits were recorded across 22 sites (24.4%) and burnt mounds/spreads were recorded at 20 sites (22.2%). Enclosures were recorded across six sites (6.6%) with human remains recorded at Croagh 4 and Croagh 16.

Stage (i)f Townland Boundary Surveys were also carried at nine townland boundaries along the length of the scheme in Section D. Stage (i)f work comprised a desk-top assessment and archaeological investigation of the boundaries.

To assess the potential to recover archaeologically significant metal objects from topsoil at the locations of documented archaeological/cultural heritage sites in Section D, a metal detection device was used to scan the topsoil excavated from test trenches. A single object of archaeological interest representing a copper alloy mount was identified during metal detecting in Test Excavation Area TE_D031.

A total of 157 animal bones were recovered from five sites (Kilknockan 8, Curraghbeg 1, Kilgobbin 4, Kilgobbin 3 and Kilgobbin 1). The majority of the bones presented for analysis were suggested to belong to livestock species and the pattern of cut marks indicates that many represent butchered debris from food preparation and consumption; the remains likely accumulated as a result of domestic waste disposal. The possible metalworking samples were analysed but were deemed unlikely to be related to metal production.

Four metal artefacts, all from Kilknockan 8, were recorded during testing and were deemed to be medieval in date (Jew’s harp, mount, knife and sickle). The lithics assemblage, comprising one flint flake from Croagh 2 and one chert flake fragment from Kilknockan 8, was analysed and dated from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Additional artefacts included post-medieval pottery and glass.

Stage (iii) excavation of the identified sites will be carried out in the latter half of 2024 and into 2025 and will each be outlined in their own excavation bulletin following completion.