2025:159 - Straboe Solar Farm, Carlow
County: Carlow
Site name: Straboe Solar Farm
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: 25E0088
Author: Muireann Ní Cheallacháin
Author/Organisation Address: IAC Archaeology, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow A63 KT32
Site type: Various (burial, burnt mound, enclosures, pits)
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 682163m, N 678834m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.854152, -6.780055
A programme of archaeological testing was undertaken in association with a proposed solar farm development in the townlands of Straboe and Killering, Co. Carlow. This followed on from a previous archaeological assessment report carried out by Neo-Environmental (Martin and Manktelow 2024) and geophysical survey (Murphy 2023, Licence No. 23R0188).
Archaeological testing was carried out over the course of 17 days from 14 February 2025 using a mechanical excavator fitted with a flat grading bucket. A total of 83 trenches were excavated across the site measuring 6852 linear metres. The trenches targeted geophysical anomalies and open green space to fully investigate the archaeological potential of the site.
Testing revealed 20 discrete locations of archaeological potential and these have been provisionally named Archaeological Areas 1–14 (AA1–14):
- A possible prehistoric cremation pit was identified in AA4 while prehistoric burnt mound activity was recorded in AA9, AA10, AA13 and AA14.
- Undated enclosures of varying shape with associated internal and/or external features were recorded in AA1, AA2a, AA3, AA7 and AA12.
- Pit clusters of unknown date were recorded in AA2b, AA8 and AA11 while isolated pits of unknown date were recorded in AA2c–AA2f, AA5b and AA6.
Artefacts recovered from the trenches include a prehistoric flint scraper from the topsoil near AA2d, a piece of possible worked quartz from a pit inside the enclosure in AA2a, a fragment of burnt bone, potentially human, from a pit inside the enclosure in AA1 and a fragment of a clay pipe bowl from the topsoil near AA6.
References
Martin, H., and Manktelow, R. 2024. Technical Appendix 3: Archaeology and Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment for Straboe Solar Farm & Battery Energy Storage System prepared by Lightsource Renewable Energy Limited.
Murphy, D. 2023. Report on Geophysical Survey at Straboe, Killerrig and Kneestown, Co. Carlow. Detection Device Licence No.: 23R0188. Unpublished report prepared by ACSU.