Category: Projects

IAC have successfully completed an extensive program of archaeological investigations along the route of the A31 Magherafelt Bypass in Co. Londonderry earlier this year. This work was carried out for Mouchel Consulting on behalf of Transport NI. The project involved a ‘Strip&Map’ program, test trenching (278 trenches measuring 5,560 linear metres) and the subsequent excavation…

Head to Head: Sacrifice V’s Acoustics. Paul Duffy discusses some differing interpretations for a horse skull deposit at Haynestown, Co. Louth. Reading Colm Moriarty’s (2015) recent discussion of buried horse skulls within medieval and early modern clay floors revived a memory which had lain dormant for several years. During excavations at Haynestown in 2008 I…

David McIlreavy discusses recent evidence for a previously unrecorded crown glass manufactory in 18th century Rathgar In January 2015 archaeological monitoring undertaken at Orwell Park, Rathgar in Dublin 2 revealed evidence for a previously unrecorded small-scale 18th century crown glass manufactory. The greenfield site at Orwell Park, measuring c. 30 x 20m, had remained undeveloped despite the relatively…

Tim Coughlan discusses an Early Bronze Age burnt mound in Roscommon which displayed interesting evidence for phasing and woodworking.   Advance testing along the route of the N61 Ratallen Road Realignment Scheme in Co. Roscommon identified a burnt mound at Ratallen 1 (Licence Ref.: 12E264) which was subsequently excavated over the course of a sunny…

Christina O’ Regan ruminates on some unusual artefacts recently discovered in Co. Tyrone.   In 2012, excavations were carried out in advance of the A32 Shannaragh Re-alignment Scheme in Co. Tyrone. Four distinct areas of archaeological activity were uncovered including a Late Mesolithic encampment, a Bronze Age burnt mound with trough and a medieval wooden ‘trackway’.…

On-top of a hill, north of Newry, Co Down, Fintan Walsh identified interesting evidence for the re-use of early medieval rath DOW046:026.   A complex of multi-period archaeological features were identified at Carnmeen and Lisduff, Co. Down during advance archaeological investigation of the proposed extension to Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry. These sites were subsequently excavated…

David McIlreavy and Paul Duffy reminisce on a summer of discoveries during the Ulster Scots survey.   Since 2012 IAC have formed part of the research team for the Ulster Scots Archaeological Project. Our input involved conducting three research community-based excavations at key sites and an extensive survey of 17th century sites throughout Northern Ireland.…

During the pre-recession halcyon summer of 2008 Faith Bailey identified a group of possible boulder burials in the shadow of Benbulben. The coastal margin between Sligo town and the Leitrim county border, scattered with recorded archaeological sites, is dominated by the outline of Benbulben Mountain to the east. Drumcliff, a small village 5.5km NNW of Sligo Town,…

Tim Coughlan describes an excavated medieval farmstead in the Dublin hinterlands. Pre-development archaeological investigation carried out in advance of the National Sports Campus development indicated features of archaeological origin at Sheephill, Co. Dublin. Subsequent excavation in early 2013 (Licence 13E020) revealed a small complex of early Bronze Age burnt mounds in ‘Area A’ and the…

Christina O’ Regan ponders the benefits of practical site visits when teaching archaeology   Communicating archaeology to the general public is perhaps the single most important aspect of our careers as archaeologists, and community projects are central to this goal. In 2012, while working on the Ulster Scots Archaeological Project with our colleagues in URS and…