2025:346 - Stag Park, Mitchelstown, Cork
County: Cork
Site name: Stag Park, Mitchelstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a
Licence number: 25E0440
Author: Maeve McCormick
Author/Organisation Address: Archer Heritage Planning, Unit 1, Tenure Business Park, Co Louth A92 K2VF
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 580672m, N 612281m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.261893, -8.283135
A total of 9 trenches measuring 255 linear meters (510 sq. m) were mechanically excavated across the site at Stag Park, Kildorrery Road, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. The works were undertaken on the 4 and 7 of July 2025.
The entire site was covered in a deep layer of construction spoil overburden (C1) from the construction of the neighbouring housing estate in 2006. It comprises a dense mix of redeposited natural subsoil (orange, brown clay with frequent stones) and modern detritus. In Trenches 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 & 9 this layer directly overlaid C2 subsoil while in Trenches 3, 6 & 7 it overlay C3, the original ground surface, and measured from 0.5m to 1.3m deep. Subsoil was uniform across the entire site. It comprised a pinkish-orange compact stoney clay.
In Trenches 3, 6 & 7 the overburden overlay the original ground surface. This was recorded as a band of dark brown or blackish, grey clay which represents the buried turf layer. It overlaid the subsoil in this area. Elsewhere it appears that the original ground surface may have been topsoil stripped during the construction of the neighbouring estate. The trenches which contained this layer (Trenches 3, 6 & 7) were the deepest across the site measuring between 1.3-1.75m.
The easternmost trenches (Trenches 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 & 9) all contained a large ditch (C6) aligned north-south. It was cut through subsoil and measured 2m to 3m wide x 1.5m to 1.75m deep. It had a single, modern fill which was the same as C1. This ditch can be seen in 2006 Aerial Photographs as a large, freshly-cut ditch, cut through the topsoil-stripped subject area.
Only Trench 3 had additional features. A modern stone-filled agricultural drain (C4) and a single plough furrow (C5) were also recorded in this trench.
Nothing of archaeological significance was recorded during the archaeological testing works. It is clear the subject area underwent heavy landscaping comprising spoil dumps, topsoil stripping and the excavation of a large ditch around 2006 when the neighbouring housing estate was constructed.