M1 Dundalk Western Bypass

Project overview

IAC carried out pre-development archaeological services within the 18km route corridor of the Dundalk Western Bypass and link roads.

Extensive investigations (58,000sqm test trenches) revealed 34 archaeological sites which were subsequently excavated by a team of 95 archaeologists.

The excavations uncovered settlement and burial sites dating to the prehistoric and medieval periods. The outstanding sites include a Neolithic embanked enclosure at Balregan, a large Bronze Age funerary complex at Carn More, an early medieval cemetery settlement at Balriggan, and a later medieval earthwork fortification on Fort Hill.

The well-preserved and beautifully constructed souterrain at Newtownbalregan was also significant. A museum exhibition of the findings of this scheme was staged at the Louth County Museum, Dundalk. A monograph produced in collaboration with the TII was published in 2021 and is available to read for free online.