Causeway

The National Monuments Service's description

At the E end of a glacial ridge adjacent to a flood plain, 700m S of the River Shannon. The site was excavated as part of the Sothern Limerick Ring Road, Phase II (Bermingham et al. 2013, Taylor 2004 and 2005). The stone causeway (LI005-098----) was excavated 60m S of a ringfort (LI005-094----), both sites were considered to be contemporary. A prehistoric trackway (LI005-097----), two Bronze Age round buildings (LI005-095001/2-) and two fulacht fia sites (LI005-096001/2-) are located 40-80m to the W.
The stone causeway was built from the dry ridge, on which the early medieval ringfort was located, SW through marshy ground towards the River Shannon (Taylor 2004). In contrast to a prehistoric trackway excavated to the W (LI005-097----), the stone causeway was located on top of alluvium, demonstrating its later date. The discontinuous trackway extended for almost 67m and may have led to the same stream that was accessed during the earlier prehistoric phase of occupation at the site. The trackway was most substantial at the N where it joined the dry gravel ridge (dims. 8m wide), the remainder to the SW was narrower (dims. 0.8m W and 0.2-0.4m D). The structure was well built with larger kerb stones lining the edge and a walking surface in between (www.excavations.ie 2005, Site No. 975; Taylor 2008, 241-2).

See attached Site Location Plan prepared by TVAS Ireland Ltd.

Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan

Date of upload: 14 July 2020

References

Taylor, K. 2004 Prehistoric features and an early medieval enclosure at Coonagh West, Co. Limerick. In J. O’Sullivan and M. Stanley (eds.) New Routes to the Past, 73-9. Dublin. Wordwell Books.

Bermingham, N., Coyne, F., Hull, G., Reilly, F. and Taylor, K. 2013 River Road: The archaeology of the Limerick Southern Ring Road with contributions by Eoin Grogan, Penny Johnston, Linda Lynch, Stephen Mandal, Charles Mount, Joanna Nolan, Paul O’Keeffe, Helen Roche, Sara Pavía and Angela Wallace, NRA Scheme Monographs 14.

Taylor, K. 2008 Coonagh West: Prehistoric fulachta fiadh, settlement and trackway; early medieval enclosure. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2005: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 241-2, No. 975. Dublin. Wordwell.