2024:573 - Athlone Main Drainage - Coosan West Pumping Station, Old Coosan Road, Athlone and Clonbrusk, Westmeath

As part of the Athlone Main Drainage project, archaeological monitoring was to be undertaken on a greenfield site for a new pumping station at Old Coosan Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

The contractor failed to notify the archaeologist that grass had been stripped and then stone laid across the site Consequently, on the first site visit in December 2023, it was not possible to assess whether archaeological material was present or not on the site. Natural geological deposits were seen in a small portion of the site that had not yet been stone covered. This was a dark brown fine clay (glacial till). A second visit in September 2024 observed the tunnelling shaft. No archaeological features deposits or artefacts were observed during the monitoring.

In the case of the works undertaken in December 2023, due to the lack of concurrent archaeological monitoring of sod and topsoil stripping, it cannot be stated with any confidence that archaeological material was not present.