The Foynes to Limerick (including Adare Bypass) Road passes through a rich historical landscape, with a notably dense distribution of early medieval (5th to 12th century AD) ringforts and notable Anglo-Norman towns such as Adare and Askeaton. Great care was taken during the design phase of the project to minimise impacts on known archaeological monuments and historic sites. Chapter 14 (Archaeology, Architecture and Cultural Heritage) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (https://www.foyneslimerick.ie/copy-of-volume-2-drawings) describes the receiving cultural heritage environment, along with the results of non-invasive archaeological investigations undertaken to inform the environmental impact assessment. These included analysis of Airborne Laser Scanning data and extensive geophysical surveys. Most importantly, it set out a comprehensive suite of cultural heritage mitigation measures to be implemented prior to and during construction.
Implementation of these measures began in October 2023, when Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC) were engaged to carry out a range of advance surveys.. These included a second phase of geophysical survey, meaning that all of the project footprint (where ground conditions allowed) was subject to this form of non-invasive prospection. A detailed aerial survey, in effect a pre-commencement record of the various heritage sites along the route, was also completed by IAC.
The main body of archaeological investigations are being carried out under a Stage (i)–(iv) Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract, awarded by Limerick City and County Council to Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd (AMS) in February 2024. Between March and November 2024, AMS completed a programme of systematic test excavations across the project. This involved the machine excavation of a centreline trench (1.8m wide) along the full length of the route, with offset trenches approximately every 20m, all conducted under archaeological supervision. These ultimately comprised of 172km of archaeological test trenches.
In total, 150 archaeological sites were identified that would require preservation-by-record through archaeological excavation. Of these, 58 sites were on the Adare Bypass section of the route. The archaeological excavation of these sites was completed on schedule by AMS by the end of 2024, prior to the commencement of construction of the bypass in January 2025.
Excavation of the remaining archaeological sites, outside the Adare Bypass, is currently ongoing.
The archaeological works are being carried out in accordance with the Directions of the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government, issued in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland, and are being overseen by a Project Archaeologist appointed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Resident Archaeologist appointed by Limerick City and County Council.
The Archaeology of the Adare Bypass
The archaeology documented and excavated across the Adare Bypass included a variety of archaeological site types spanning from prehistory up to the 20th century. Prior to the scientific dating of the sites (due to be carried out over the next year), we can conservatively say that well over 4,000 years of human activity has been documented across the 7 kms of the bypass.
The archaeology uncovered includes Bronze Age fulachtí fia or burnt mounds (places where stones were heated in fires before being placed in troughs of water, in order to heat the water for various purposes such as bathing and cooking), prehistoric building traces, cremation pit burials, evidence for an Early Bronze Age site, where a single pit produced a rich assemblage of artefacts. This assemblage is evidence for the period when metalworking was first introduced into Ireland, and the cultural group who brought this technology are recognised in the archaeological record by their distinctive pottery and artefacts such as barbed and tanged arrowheads, even on sites where no direct evidence for metalworking is found. Also found were early medieval settlement enclosures and burial grounds, dispersed charcoal-production pits of probable Iron Age to medieval date, a medieval moated site (a defensive enclosure), an as yet undated sweathouse, and various isolated pits and postholes which have yet to be fully interpreted (pending ongoing post-excavation analysis).
The excavations to date have produced much finds material, amongst which there have been some standout pieces. These include the Arsdshanbally Brooch Pin, a fine example of early medieval metal working and art, recovered in fantastic condition and already on display at the National Museum of Ireland (see article here), as well as early medieval glass beads, finger rings and a belt buckle, and prehistoric items such as axeheads, saddle querns (for grinding grain by hand) and some fragments of decorated Bronze Age pottery. All the material recovered, once analysed, will help us to understand more about the people who lived in this area of Limerick in the distant past.
What next?
With excavation of the Adare Bypass sites complete, the post-excavation phase has now begun. This is when the finds are cleaned and labelled, before being analysed by specialists. Soil samples are processed to retrieve charcoal and other charred material such as grains and seeds which, along with animal bones, are also examined by suitable specialists. Some of this material may be selected for radiocarbon (C14) dating, to aid in the interpretation and understanding of the sites. Other post-excavation activities include the examination by osteoarchaeologists of the human remains recovered, to establish gender, evidence for illness, age at death, in some cases cause of death, burial practices and so on.
When all of this work has been completed, the results will be collated and interpreted in final excavation reports for all of the sites. These reports and other outputs will ultimately be made available through TII’s Digital Heritage Collection.
What now?
In the meantime, we are bringing the results of the heritage surveys and archaeological excavations back to the local community through talks and publications.. An online Storymap is due for publication in the summer of 2025, and various events are being organised for Heritage Week 2025.
For updates on the progress of the pre-construction archaeological investigations along the Foynes to Limerick Road and on-going post-excavation analysis from the Adare Bypass excavations, follow the AMS social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Linkedin, as well as checking-in on the AMS website.
Illustration 1: The Ardshanbally Brooch-pin following conservation (Photo: John Channing, AMS).
Illustration 4: Aerial view of Ardshanbally 1 during excavation (north to top) (Photo: John Channing, AMS).
Illustration 5: The archaeological team excavating the enclosure ditch, where the brooch-pin was recovered (looking southwest) (Photo: John Channing, AMS).