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Home My WebLink About2560432 - Other Assessments - Geophysical Survey ReportGeophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 This report details the results of an archaeogeophysical survey (Licence No.: 25R0082) of lands at Tully townland, Monaghan town, Co. Monaghan. The investigation was conducted as part of a Request for Further Information issued by Monaghan County Council relating to a proposed development. The investigation, comprising high resolution magnetic gradiometry, was implemented over two adjoining fields of pasture and covered an area of approximately 2.25 hectares. Nothing of obvious archaeological potential was identified by the survey. Several small ‘pit-type’ responses mapped by the investigation may have an archaeological origin, though this is tentative. Evidence for past cultivation and land division, as well as modern ground disturbances/dumping was also identified. Site Name: Tully Parish: Monaghan Townland: Tully Barony: Monaghan County: Monaghan RMP/SMR No.: N/A ITM (centroid): 667030, 832800 Land use: Pasture Geology: Pale brown-grey flaggy, silty mudstone (Cooldaragh Formation) Soils: coarse loamy drift with siliceous stones (Clashmore Series) Detection License No.: 25R0082 Planning Reference No.: See Part 2 of this report Survey Type & Instrument: Fluxgate Gradiometer – Five-channel magnetometer Sample/Transverse Interval: 0.10m/0.5m Area Surveyed: c.2.25 ha Survey Date: 27 February 2025 License Holder: Ger Dowling Report Author: Ger Dowling Report Date: 06 March 2025 Summary Survey details RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 Contents 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2 Site Location .................................................................................................................................... 6 3 Survey Background .......................................................................................................................... 7 4 Archaeological Background ............................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Recorded/Known Archaeology ..................................................................................................... 8 4.2 Previous Investigations ................................................................................................................. 8 5 Survey Location and Aims ................................................................................................................ 9 6 Survey Methodology and Instrumentation ................................................................................... 10 7 Data Management, Processing and Interpretation ....................................................................... 11 8 General Considerations and Complicating Factors ........................................................................ 12 8.1 Access and Ground Conditions ................................................................................................... 12 8.2 Modern Interference .................................................................................................................. 12 8.3 Former Land Use......................................................................................................................... 12 9 Survey Results ................................................................................................................................ 13 10 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 14 10.1 Statement of Indemnity .............................................................................................................. 14 11 Figures ............................................................................................................................................ 15 12 Plates.............................................................................................................................................. 23 List of Tables Table 1. Geophysical survey details Table 2. Survey results List of Figures Figure 1. Site location map, showing survey area highlighted in red Figure 2. Recorded archaeological sites in the vicinity of the survey area Figure 3. The survey area overlaid on the first-edition six-inch Ordnance Survey Map (surveyed 1835; published 1837) Figure 4. The survey area overlaid on the first-edition 25-inch Ordnance Survey Map (1888–1913) Figure 5. The survey area Figure 6. Greyscale image of gradiometry results Figure 7. Interpretative plan showing principal geophysical anomalies RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 List of Plates Plate 1. The survey area, looking northwest Plate 2. Western field, viewed from the northeast Plate 3. Earthen mounds in eastern field, looking southwest Abbreviations GPS Global Positioning System ITM Irish Transverse Mercator MO Monaghan nT nanoTesla (unit of magnetic measurement) OS Ordnance Survey QGIS Quantum Geographical Information Systems SMR Sites and Monument Record RMP Record of Monument and Places Coordinate System All GPS coordinates given in this report are in Irish Transverse Mercator (ITM) RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 1 Introduction This report details the results of an archaeogeophysical survey (Licence No.: 25R0082) of lands at Tully townland, Monaghan town, Co. Monaghan. The survey, comprising high resolution magnetic gradiometry, was focused on two adjoining pasture fields and encompassed some 2.25 hectares. The investigation was conducted in response to a Request for Further Information issued by Monaghan County Council relating to a proposed development. The site has not previously been subjected to geophysical survey and it was hoped that the investigation would identify and map any subsurface archaeology that may be present. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 6 2 Site Location The survey is located in the townland of Tully, Co. Monaghan (Figure 1). The site, which lies on the southern side of Monaghan town, is in the Civil Parish and Barony of Monaghan.1 1 An Tulaigh/Tully | logainm.ie: accessed on 07 February 2025. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 7 3 Survey Background The investigation was conducted in response to a Request for Further Information issued by Monaghan County Council relating to a proposed development. Details of the proposed development and the Request for Further Information as it relates specifically to archaeology are found in Part 2 of this report. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 4 Archaeological Background 4.1 Recorded/Known Archaeology There are no recorded monuments within the survey area (Figure 2).2 The nearest recorded site is a Mound (MO009-067) located on the summit of a low drumlin about 170m to the west.3 The mound (top: 15m N-S; 16m E-W; base: 28m N-S; 27m E-W; max H c. 1.5m) is flat topped and has potential faint traces of an external bank on the northeast side; it is known locally as 'Tully Fort'.4 The survey area is shown as farmland on early historic maps (Figures 3 & 4). 4.2 Previous Investigations No recorded archaeological excavations have previously been undertaken at survey area or within the immediate locality.5 2 Historic Environment Viewer (arcgis.com): accessed on 07 February 2025. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 Excavations: accessed on 07 February 2025. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 9 5 Survey Location and Aims The investigation, comprising high resolution magnetic gradiometry, was focused on two fields of pasture and encompassed some 2.25 hectares (Figure 5). Located directly north and south of modern housing estates and east of the ‘Glen Road’ (R162), the target fields lie adjacent to one another, east to west (Plates 1 & 2). Both fields are bounded by tree- lined hedgerows, supplemented in places by post-and-wire fences. The terrain slopes moderately to the south, while several large earthen mounds, probable modern spoil heaps, extend east–west across the approximate centre of the eastern field (Plate 3). The surrounding landscape comprises a mixed urban and rural environment, with Monaghan town to the north, east and south, and farmland, mainly pasture, to the west. The underlying bedrock of the locality comprises pale brown-grey flaggy, silty mudstone (Cooldaragh Formation).6 The local soils are dominated by coarse loamy drift with siliceous stones (Clashmore Series).7 The geophysical investigation aimed to: • identify any geophysical anomalies of possible archaeological origin within the specified survey area • accurately locate these anomalies and present the findings in map form • describe the anomalies and discuss their likely provenance in a written report • incorporate all of the above in a report to the Client 6 Geological Survey of Ireland Spatial Resources, Public Data Viewer Series: https://dcenr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=a30af518e87a4c0ab2fbde2aaac3c228 [accessed on 07 February 2025]. 7 Irish National Soils Map, 1:250,000k, V1b (2014): http://gis.teagasc.ie/soils/map.php [accessed on 07 February 2025]. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 6 Survey Methodology and Instrumentation The survey involved high-resolution magnetic gradiometry survey (Table 1). This technique measures changes in the magnetic properties of the soil and is widely used in modern investigations due to its ability to detect a broad range of sub-surface archaeological remains, including ditches and pits, and industrial features associated with metalworking and pottery production. The magnetic survey was conducted using a five-channel fluxgate gradiometer system, combining a Sensys MAGNETO MXPDA and Sensys FGM650 probes, with cm-precision GPS (Trimble R12 antenna and TSC5 controller) georeferenced to Irish Transverse Mercator and Ordnance Datum. Mounted on a cart and pulled by a quad bike, the system records magnetometer and GPS data simultaneously into a single data file. The data capture strategy involved logging readings every 0.10m intervals along transects spaced 0.5m apart, with a maximum traverse width of 2.5m. The sampling strategy produces a high- resolution dataset, giving clarity to any archaeological features detected. The highly accurate positioning of the survey data provides strong confidence when integrating the geophysical results with other datasets such as aerial imagery in GIS, and also ensures repeatability should further investigation of anomalies (e.g., test excavation) be required. Table 1. Geophysical survey details Technique Instrumentation Sensor spacing Sample rate Survey Area Number of recorded data Magnetic Gradiometry Five-channel fluxgate gradiometer array 0.5m 100 Hz c.2.25 ha 398,934 RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 7 Data Management, Processing and Interpretation Gradiometry data was logged to a laptop computer and archived daily to an external hard drive. The collated magnetic data was processed the following way: • Real-time positioning of magnetometer data based on GPS measurements; • Processing (track correction and equalisation) of collated magnetometer data; and • Export of georeferenced greyscale images at optimum visual range The processed data was imported into QGIS for final image production (Figures 6 & 7). Final geophysical datasets have been formatted as raster data models/GeoTiffs (projected to ITM, EPSG:2157) to enable subsequent geospatial analysis. Fieldwork, data processing and reporting adhered to the most up-to- date guidelines for conducting archaeogeophysical surveys.8 All geophysical raster datasets will be digitally archived to best practice.9 8 Schmidt A., Linford P., Linford N., David, A., Gaffney C., Sarris A., and Fassbinder J. 2016. EAC Guidelines for the Use of Geophysics in Archaeology: Questions to Ask and Points to Consider. EAC Guidelines 2. [Online] Available from: https://f64366e3-8f7d-4b63- 9edf5000e2bef85b.filesusr.com/ugd/881a59_fdb1636e95f64813a65178895aea87cf.pdf 9 Niven, K. 2012. Raster Images: A Guide to Good Practice. Archaeology Data Service/Digital Antiquity, Guides to Good Practice. [Online] Available from: http://guides.archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/g2gp/RasterImg_Toc; & Schmidt, A. and Ernenwein, E. 2012. Guide to Good Practice: Geophysical Data in Archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 8 General Considerations and Complicating Factors 8.1 Access and Ground Conditions The target land comprises two neighbouring fields of pasture. The earthen mounds in the eastern field were avoided by the survey, as was a small tract of heavily (cattle) poached terrain in the southeast corner of the same field and an accumulation of timber and other debris at the northern end of the western field. 8.2 Modern Interference Multiple, small-scale ‘ferrous-type’, dipolar (positive–negative) responses are evident in the results from the gradiometry survey. These are a common occurrence in magnetic data and in most cases represent modern metal debris and other magnetised material (e.g., fired brick) contained within the topsoil. Some of the broad-scale ‘ferrous-type’ responses mapped by the survey in the eastern field may represent areas of buried modern debris and/or disturbed ground. A roughly ‘L-shaped’ band of dipolar responses (labelled ‘4’ on Figure 7) revealed in the western field may reflect a buried pipe or some other modern metallic feature. Magnetic disturbance deriving from survey in proximity to the houses and field fences were recorded in places along the edge of the survey area. 8.3 Former Land Use Two, interconnected positive linears [1 & 2] identified in the western field and a fainter example [3] mapped in the eastern field probably reflect former field boundaries. These are not marked on early historic maps but likely relate to land division in modern times. Past cultivation is also evidenced in both fields. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 9 Survey Results Table 2. survey results Area Tully ITM (centroid) 667030, 832800 Area surveyed c.2.25 ha Figure Numbers 6 & 7 Form/nature of anomaly Possible sources(s) of anomaly Interpretative discussion Several isolated ‘pit-type’ responses Possible archaeology/ modern/natural Possible pits/deposits. Some may contain burnt/fired material in their fills. Archaeological interpretation is tentative. Anomalies may instead have a modern (i.e., ferrous/agricultural) origin and/or reflect ‘noise’ from natural soil variation. 1–3 Three slender positive linears Probable agricultural Probable former field boundaries. Two, interconnected examples [1&2] in western field and one [3] in eastern field. Not depicted on early historic maps. 4 ‘L-shaped’ band of ‘ferrous-type’ responses Agricultural/ modern Possible pipe or other modern/agricultural feature. Multiple ‘ferrous-type’ responses Modern/natural Ferrous debris and other weakly magnetised material (e.g., fired brick). Large areas of ferrous disturbance in eastern field likely represent modern debris and/or ground disturbances. Areas of magnetic disturbance Modern Disturbance from adjacent houses and field fences. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 10 Conclusion The geophysical investigation at Tully did not reveal any anomalies of clear archaeological potential. Several small ‘pit-type’ responses [1] mapped across the site may have an archaeological origin (e.g., pits/deposits); however, the possibility that these reflect natural soil variation and/or modern iron litter and/or disturbance from past agriculture cannot be overlooked. Evidence for agriculture in recent centuries is indicated by three possible former field boundaries [1-3] and a series of old plough lines. Areas of ferrous disturbance, which are particularly extensive in the eastern field, likely reflect accumulations of buried modern debris and/or disturbed ground. This may relate to the earthen mounds/spoil heaps noted in the same field. 10.1 Statement of Indemnity The geophysical properties of sub-surface features must contrast sufficiently with the surrounding soils/background variation to enable them to be detected and mapped using geophysical methods. As such, the clarity and definition of buried features can vary considerably, with some having well-defined signatures while others are only barely visible, or not discernible, in geophysical imagery. A lack of geophysical anomalies cannot be taken to imply the absence of archaeological features. The interpretations presented here are invariably provisional and further work (e.g., test trenching) is required to fully assess the nature and archaeological potential of the anomalies identified by the present investigation. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 15 11 Figures RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16 Figure 1. Site location map, showing survey area highlighted in red. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17 Figure 2. Location of recorded archaeological sites in the vicinity of the survey area. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18 Figure 3. The survey area overlaid on the first-edition six-inch Ordnance Survey Map (surveyed 1845; published 1837). RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19 Figure 4. The survey area overlaid on the first-edition 25-inch Ordnance Survey Map (1888–1913) RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20 Figure 5. The survey area. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21 Figure 6. Greyscale image of gradiometry results. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22 Figure 7. Interpretative plan showing principal geophysical anomalies. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 23 12 Plates RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 24 Plate 1. The survey area, looking northwest. = Plate 2. Western field, viewed from the northeast. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 Geophysical Survey Report, Tully, Co. Monaghan, 25R0082 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 25 Plate 3. Earthen mounds in eastern field, looking southwest. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 TEMPLATE FOR SECOND PART OF EXCAVATION REPORT – Non Archaeological Information [Condition 11.2] E X 2 5 R 0 0 8 2 X  Site Owner: IJM Timber Engineering Ltd Address: Latlurcan, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan Planning Authority: Monaghan County Council Planning Reg. No.: 24/60309 Excavation Type: Geophysical Survey [as per licence application] Contractor/Developer: Geda Construction Company Ltd, Address: Monaghan Road, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan A75 EP84, Background to excavation: A geophysical survey, involving magnetic gradiometry, was conducted at lands at Tully townland, Monaghan town, Co. Monaghan. The work was undertaken in response to a Request for Further Information issued by Monaghan County Council relating to the proposed development of a housing estate. The development is to include 49 no. dwellings comprising; 22 no. 3 bed two-storey semi- detached dwellings, 9 no. 4 bed two-storey semi-detached dwellings, 5 no. 2 bed single-storey semi- detached dwellings, 1 no. 4 bed single-storey semi-detached dwellings, 11 no. 2 bed terraced dwellings, 1 no. 2 bed two-storey semi-detached dwelling, boundary treatments, retaining walls, hard and soft landscaping, public lighting, connection to all main public services, new entrance and access road onto public road with all ancillary and associated site works. As part of a Request for Further Information, the Planning Section, Monaghan County Council, stated the following regarding Archaeology: 13. The Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage have advised that due to the scale, extent and location of the development it is possible that subsurface archaeological remains could be encountered during the initial construction phases of the development. The Department therefore recommends that an Archaeological Assessment is submitted and compiled as follows. (a) A geophysical survey carried out over the entire development site in order to detect any subsurface archaeological features/deposits. (b) Following the geophysical survey required under item (i) above, the archaeologist will formulate a test excavation strategy for the development site in order to determine the nature and extent of possible archaeological deposits. RECEIVED: 29/10/2025 TEMPLATE FOR SECOND PART OF EXCAVATION REPORT – Non Archaeological Information [Condition 11.2] Signed: Date: 06/03/2025 RECEIVED: 29/10/2025