IAC undertook advance archaeological investigations along the 14.9km route corridor of the M3 Clonee to North of Kells Motorway Scheme (Contract 4 & 5) in Co. Meath. Extensive test trenching (160,000sqm) was carried out within the footprint of the scheme which identified 44 archaeological sites.
An appropriate mitigation strategy was agreed with the statutory authorities involving resolution through excavation. This required expert logistical management of a large team of 150 archaeologists over a 6-month period.
The works revealed a previously unidentified rich archaeological landscape in the Kells hinterland; dating from the Mesolithic through to the post-medieval period.
Highlights included: a middle Bronze Age structure at Phoenixtown 3, multiphase complex of settlement, funerary monuments, metalworking and cereal processing at Grange 3, extensive prehistoric settlement, burial, and ritual monuments at Kilmainham.
The excavation findings have been shared through public talks and publications. A monograph produced in collaboration with the TII was published in 2022 and is available to read for free online.
