Enclosure in Oldtown (clanmallagh By.)

Monument was identified in 2002 when archaeological investigations were carried out in this field as part of the archaeological assessment of the M8 motorway. Site also visible as a cropmark of a large circular enclosure on aerial photograph taken by Markus Casey in August 2004. Cropmark of monument clearly visible on Google Earth aerial photograph taken 03/08/2010. Monitoring of investigative groundworks (the excavation of three boreholes and three trial-pits) was carried out in the townland of Oldtown, Co. Laois, in May 2002 under licence No. 02E0647. The site at Oldtown was discovered during field inspection as part of the assessment of the N8 route by Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd. During aerial survey for this scheme, dark cropmarks were observed, and on the ground very obvious undulations formed what might be a potential complex of large earthworks. In light of this, a geophysical survey was undertaken by Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd, the results of which indicate the presence of four circular enclosures with associated field systems and a partial circular feature in the north-west of the field. The boreholes and trial-pits were sited to avoid the cropmarks, geophysical responses and upstanding features as much as possible. They were excavated using a mechanical digger fitted with a grading bucket and a percussion-coring rig fitted with a 150mm coring bit. No material of archaeological significance came to light during these investigative groundworks (Fegan 2004, 287-8). Monitoring of topsoil-stripping was carried out in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise– Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme between February and June 2005. The work was carried out on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. The section described in this report is Testing Area 14 of Contract 1. Contract 1 of the project incorporated the Portlaoise–Cullahill section of the scheme, consisting of c. 14km of motorway, which extends from Aghaboe to south of Cullahill through the townlands from Gortnaclea to Oldtown. Testing Area 14 was located to the west of the N8 Cork–Dublin road. It was located between Chainage 10460 and 10250 of the proposed scheme. A geophysical survey (02R068) of a portion of Testing Area 14 was undertaken by Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd on behalf of ARUP Consulting Engineers. A broad area of settlement activity was recorded over Testing Areas 13 and 14. It comprised three circular enclosures, a double ditched enclosure, a possible enclosure and associated field systems. As a result, Testing Area 14 was stripped of topsoil to ensure that any archaeological remains present would be detected. However, no archaeological features were exposed on this site (O'Neill 2008, 224). See attached Google Earth aerial photograph of cropmark taken 28/06/2018 Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 13 June 2016