Limerick Southern Ring Road, Phase II E2106 (Site A005/2022), Coonagh East, Co. Limerick A Preliminary Archaeological Excavation Report for Limerick County Council Edel Ruttle Job J04/20 (NGR 154315 157075) Limerick Southern Ring Road, Phase II E2106 (Site A005/2022), Coonagh East, Co. Limerick Preliminary Archaeological Excavation Report for Limerick County Council Edel Ruttle TVAS Ireland Ltd Job J04/20 26th June 2008 Summary Scheme name: LSRR II, A005/000 Site name: E2106 (A005/2022), Coonagh East, Co. Limerick Record number: E2106 Townland: Coonagh East Parish: Killeely Barony: North Liberties County: Limerick NGR: 154315 157075 OS 6” Sheet No: Co. Limerick Sheet 005 Chainage: 1840 link Client: Limerick County Council, Mid West National Road Design Office, Lissanalta House, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick Landowner: Limerick County Council, County Hall, Dooradoyle, Limerick Naturally occurring geology: Grey alluvium TVAS Ireland Job No: J04/20 Directions No: A005/2022 Licence Eligible Director: Markus Casey Report author: Edel Ruttle Site activity: Excavation Site area: 146.8m2 Date of fieldwork: 17th – 24th December 2004 Date of report: 26th June 2008 Summary of results: Deposits of brick probably representing post-medieval manufacturing or distribution were examined. Monuments identified: Post-medieval brick deposits. Location and reference of archive: The primary records (written, drawn and photographic) are currently held at TVAS Ireland Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder Report edited/checked by: Graham Hull √21.04.08 Limerick Southern Ring Road, Phase II, E2106 (Site A005/2022), Coonagh East, Co. Limerick Preliminary Archaeological Excavation Report by Edel Ruttle Introduction This report documents the results of an archaeological excavation of a deposit of bricks E2106 (Site A005/2022) on the route of the Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase II, Coonagh East, Co. Limerick (NGR154315 157075) (Fig. 1). The excavation forms part of the Limerick Southern Ring Road, Phase II, Northern Archaeological Contract. The National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended) provides the legislative framework within which archaeological excavation can take place and the following government publications set out many of the procedures relating to planning/development and archaeology: Framework and Principles for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (DAHGI 1999a) Policy and Guidelines on Archaeological Excavation (DAHGI 1999b) Code of Practice between the National Roads Authority and the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (NRA/MAHGI 2001) The archaeological work was carried out following Ministerial Direction given under the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004. Project background The Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase II (LSRR II) will extend west from the end of the Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase I at Rossbrien, to the existing N18 near Cratloe Castle. Once completed, LSRR II will form the final part of a southern bypass network around Limerick City, linking all converging routes. LSRR II will incorporate a fourth crossing of the River Shannon and will involve the construction of approximately 10km of new dual carriageway and 2km of associated link roads and side roads. The planned Public Private Partnership (PPP) project will involve an immersed tube tunnel, approximately 900m in length, linking the townland of Coonagh West, on the northern bank, with the townland of Bunlicky on the southern bank of the Shannon. Material extracted from the river during tunnel construction will be deposited across 27ha of ground in Coonagh West The road scheme is in accordance with European, National and Regional roads objectives and forms part of the development strategy for National Primary Roads as outlined in the National Development Plan (2000-2006). LSRR II is a joint project of Limerick County Council, Clare County Council and Limerick City Council in partnership with the National Roads Authority (NRA). NRA Project Archaeologist Celie O Rahilly requested a series of archaeological investigations along the route of the new road. This archaeological work included assessment of sites previously recognised and prospection for sites without surface expression by means of mechanical test trenching. A number of archaeological sites were confirmed or recognised during this testing. As preservation in situ was not a reasonable option, the resolution strategy for these sites was preservation by record, i.e. full archaeological excavation. 1 For the purposes of the archaeological component of the road scheme the project was divided into two contract lots: Southern and Northern Archaeological Services Contracts with the River Shannon separating the two elements. The archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation work were funded by Limerick County Council through the National Roads Authority under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Location, topography and geology The site was located in the townland of Coonagh East, parish of Killeely, barony of North Liberties, Co. Limerick and was centred on NGR 154315 157075 (Figs 1 and 2). The field in which the site was discovered lies immediately to the west of a small stream orientated from north-west to south-east. At the time of the excavation the land was under rough pasture. The site lay at approximately 1.10m above Ordnance Datum (OD). The general topography of the area is flat pasture with reeds, intersected by deep ditches draining into the River Shannon. A thin layer of topsoil typically overlies fine dark blue/grey alluvial clay that deepens toward the River Shannon. The ground on the north bank of the river that will be used by the road and the dispersal area for material extracted during tunnel construction has been formed by the receding Shannon and by relatively modern reclamation (Deery 2003, Healy and Hickey 2002, Hull 2005). The modern ground surface, in most of the northern portion of the road route, lies between 0.5m below and 2m above (OD). Slightly higher ground (up to 4m above OD) was encountered adjacent to the village of Coonagh, at the Clonmacken roundabout and at Cratloe Castle. In these locations pinkish sandy clay with gravel (glacial till) was observed. The topsoil overlying the archaeological deposits was 0.20m thick. The underlying natural deposit was a grey alluvium. Archaeological and historical background As part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this road project, a Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Report (Deery 2003) was commissioned. This assessment of archaeology and built/cultural heritage was based on a desktop study of published and unpublished documentary and cartographic sources, supported by a field inspection and aerial inspection of the proposed route and an underwater archaeological assessment of Ballinacurra Creek, the River Shannon, Meelick Creek, and Cratloe Creek. As well as noting previously recognised monuments ranging in date from the Prehistoric to modern periods, the EIS indicated the potential for further archaeological deposits to be found along the road route. The following is a summary, by period, taken in part, from the EIS: Prehistoric Archaeological research, and the distribution of sites on the Shannon Estuary, suggests that the estuary was the focus of settlement and of traffic/trading during the prehistoric period. Intertidal and dry land surveys indicate that quite significant Bronze Age populations were active along the river shoreline and its hinterland, with settlements extending far inland. The earliest evidence for prehistoric activity in the study area is found adjacent to Coonagh East where a Neolithic submerged forest was exposed in peats on the upper foreshore at Meelick Rocks (approx. 200m west of the proposed route). A possible Neolithic stone axe was also found (NMI 95E0228: 3) with a variety of animal bones on the lower part of this foreshore in peats that were dated to the Mesolithic. The Bronze Age (c. 2300–500 BC) saw new developments in agriculture including the introduction of tillage. This period also saw new developments in ritual activity. A variety of burial monuments date 2 to this period including: wedge tombs, cairns, tumuli and barrows. Evidence for Late Bronze Age (1200–500BC) activity is also found in the study area to the north of the Shannon in Clonmacken, where a fragmented Bronze Age sword was found during the construction of the Ennis Road. An isolated cremation burial that is as yet undated but may well prove to be prehistoric was excavated at Clonmacken during this road project (E2109, Ruttle and Taylor 2005). Fulachta fiadh (or burnt stone mounds) were also recognised as probable monuments likely to be found on the low-lying wetlands adjacent to the River Shannon. Indeed, a number of fulachta fiadh and burnt stone spreads were excavated as part of this road project. Site E2903 (Reilly 2005a) lay 250m to the north-west, E2902 (Reilly 2005b) was 175m north-west and two examples were found within Site E2901 150m to the south-east (Taylor 2008). Early Medieval (c. AD 500–1100) An enclosure thought to be of this period is located in Coonagh (LI005:056) 70m north of the proposed route. Aerial photography in the vicinity of the site revealed the presence of possible associated rectilinear field systems, which radiate from the site in a south-south-east direction. A circular ditched enclosure was excavated 200m to the east of E2106 during this project.