Experience

Fintan specialises in project management, report and publication production, editing and post-excavation management. He has project managed numerous large-scale archaeological excavations and projects throughout Ireland with teams in excess of 70 field archaeologists. Most recently these projects have included the N69 Listowel Bypass, and the N70, N72 and N86 Road Projects in Co. Kerry. Other major road schemes include the M7 Naas–Newbridge Bypass Upgrade, M7 Osberstown Interchange in Co. Kildare and the A31 Magherafelt Bypass in Co Derry.

Expertise

On these schemes, Fintan managed all aspects of archaeological fieldwork, Health and Safety (PSCS), programming of site works, quality control, client liaison and post-excavation. He has widely published his work and has presented the results of this work at numerous conferences. He is a full member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (MIAI) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (MCIfA).

Experience

Mara has been working in archaeology for over 15 years throughout Ireland and Britain in both fieldwork and post-excavation as an Osteoarchaeologist and Post-Excavation Project Manager. In 2009 Mara began her doctoral research at University College Cork where she focused on regional health patterns in early medieval Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. During this time, she continued her involvement in the commercial sector. Collections analysed have included both cremated and non-cremated human skeletal remains, from prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval sties. She has provided osteological reports for archaeological consultancies, county councils, museums and universities, from single site excavations and monitoring sites to large scale projects.

Mara has collaborated on several research projects including the INSTAR Project: People of Prehistoric Ireland; a synthesis of osteoarchaeological reports on prehistoric skeletal remains, The Poulnabrone Project; the re-analysis of one of Ireland’s most famous Neolithic Portal tombs, and the Spike Island Archaeological Project: the investigation of 19^th century prison life in Ireland.

Following four years of working within academia and the commercial archaeology sector in the UK, Mara joined AMS Consultancy in 2022 as Post-Excavation Project Manager and Osteoarchaeologist. From 2018 to 2019, Mara was a Teaching Fellow in Osteoarchaeology in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at University of Leicester where her teaching responsibilities included both campus and distance learning courses in Archaeology, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Archaeology, Human Skeletal Analysis and Environmental Archaeology as well as supervising graduate research. Mara continues to work with University of Leicester as an Associate Tutor through the Chemistry department for the MSc in Forensic Science.

Mara worked in the English commercial sector from 2019-2022, where she was responsible for the successful delivery of the post-excavation programme and dissemination of results for AOC Archaeology Group. As senior osteoarcheologist, she was responsible for the analysis of human skeletal remains recovered from excavations including large-scale infrastructure projects such as HS2 as well as skeletal remains recovered under the Historic Environment Scotland Call-Off Contract.

Expertise

Mara specialises in osteoarchaeology and has supervised a range of archaeological excavations for both small scale research projects and large-scale infrastructure schemes, urban church sites and crypt archaeology. Mara has analysed and produced over 50 specialist reports for cremated skeletal remains, articulated inhumations and disarticulated remains. In addition to providing and maintaining specialist guidance on the excavation and processing of human skeletal remains, she is responsible for identifying and submitting samples for C14 dating, aDNA and stable isotope analyses.

Mara’s interests and primary research focuses on health patterns, economic structure, and cultural landscapes. In particular, she has focused on regional health patterns throughout early medieval Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, by identifying non-specific stress markers on the human skeletal system. Results of her research are to be published by University Press of Florida as a monograph entitled Heath in Early Medieval Ireland and Britain: A Bioarchaeology of Regions in the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives. The monograph focuses on the local and regional differences observed in the physical, cultural and political landscapes in Ireland and Britain and how these differences affected the health of each population.

Mara is a member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), Irish Association of Professional Osteoarchaeologists and the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology.

Experience

As a licensed director, he has managed numerous excavations including several large-scale projects throughout Ireland, particularly linear developments such as gas pipelines and roads. In his native Kerry Tony has managed the archaeological services for the N22 Tralee Bypass, the N69 Listowel Bypass, the N70 Brackaharagh and N72 Stagmount Bends Road Improvement Schemes and the Kerry, Cork and Clare Bridge Rehabilitation Scheme.

Experience

As a site director, he has managed many large-scale archaeological projects on behalf of archaeological contractors. He has carried out archaeological assessments and excavations and written reports, and has been involved in some of the largest excavations undertaken in Ireland.

Experience

Ros has particularly extensive experience in the management of large infrastructure projects and in the delivery of training, and maintains an active research profile. He has previously worked as a ‘Senior Archaeologist’ in Ireland (VJK Ltd and ADS Ltd) and ‘Senior Project Manager’ the United Kingdom (OA), where he oversaw the archaeological components of several major infrastructure projects, from tendering, through assessment, project design, fieldwork and publication. During that work, he was responsible for up to 300+ personnel and oversaw a wide variety of situations which he successfully mitigated for his clients.

Expertise

Ros has a special research interest in the Neolithic and Bronze Age of north-western Europe and has been the recipient of grants from several prestigious research institutions, including the ‘Royal Irish Academy’ and the ‘Mellon Foundation’. He lectures part-time at the National University of Ireland, Galway and directs a university accredited field-school (www.prehistoricfieldschool.ie), where along with conducting cutting-edge research he is developing digital recording techniques. He is also currently collaborating with an international team of scientists on several ancient DNA projects.

Expertise and Experience

After gaining a first-class honours degree in history and archaeology from NUIG, she worked as a commercial archaeologist before completing a PhD on the archaeology of the Cromwellian Transplantation as an IRCHSS scholar at NUI Galway. Since graduating, she has worked on multiple projects in the commercial, research and community sectors, including the Louth Field Names Project, and the Archaeology of 1916.

Experience

Joe has extensive experience as a site director; he has been license eligible since 2007.

Joe has worked as an archaeologist with the University and Museum of Texas Tech (US), the Museum of London Archaeology (UK), and with University College Cork (IRL).

Expertise

His interests are focused on, but not limited, to Plantation and Frontier archaeology.

Experience

Patrick has experience working on a range of large-scale projects, particularly linear developments such as roads and pipelines, and has worked for a range of clients including private developers, State and semi-State bodies.

Expertise

In addition to working as a field archaeologist, he has also been employed as a Research Analyst, Research Fellow and Tutor for the Department of Archaeology, University College Dublin.

Experience

John has a wide range of experience in developer driven archaeology from planning advice to survey, excavation and publication.  Developments range in scale from single dwelling to large infrastructural projects with a matching diversity in client base.  John previously spent over 10 years with V.J.Keeley Ltd as a Senior Archaeologist where he sat on the company management team working directly with company owners and 220 field Archaeologists to bring large infrastructural projects to successful completion.

These include:

• M7 Heath-Mayfield
• N9N10 Kilcullen to Waterford
• N6 Kinnegad-Kilbeggan
• N30 Co. Wexford

John’s graphic and visual work has seen him conduct photo-shoots for portrait, commercial and wedding clients in Ireland, UK, Portugal, Italy, and France. His commercial clients range from the Commercial Bank of Qatar to Independent News and Media while his private clients remain just that, they come from Europe (east and west), USA, Brazil, India, Australia and New Zealand

Expertise

John brings a wealth of experience and an open inquiring mind to every project. He is a member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (MIAI). He specialises in excavation, project management and photography.

Experience

Alan has worked on numerous small and large-scale infrastructural projects throughout Ireland, including the N61 Ranelagh Realignment Road Project, Co. Roscommon, N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Development, Co. Sligo, the N60 Oran Realignment Road Project, Co. Roscommon, the N69 Listowel Bypass, Co. Kerry and the N5Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge, Co. Roscommon.

Expertise

He has a wide range of research interests, including how past peoples used their surrounding landscape and the flora and fauna within, whether for food or making tools or personal items. He is currently involved in a research project ‘Neolithic Marine Resource Exploitation in Atlantic Europe’ (NeoMarE), investigating shell middens in Co. Sligo, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the exploitation of the marine environment in the past, to help define how these sites relate to the wider archaeological and cultural landscape in Co. Sligo.

Experience

Paul has worked as a professional archaeologist in Ireland, UK and Australia, since 1991 and licence-eligible since 1995 in Ireland.  With over 20 years’ project management experience spanning a broad range of commercial and archaeological research projects, across rural, urban, riverine and wetland environments. Large-scale infrastructure, mining and urban development project excavation and senior management experience includes: Lisheen Mine Archaeological Project, Kilkenny City (River Nore) Drainage Scheme, M6/N52, M11 Gorey Bypass and M8 Cullahill to Cashel Road Schemes. He was Publications Manager on the M6/N52 (Fartullagh) and N6 (Kilbegly) NRA monographs and Post-excavation Manager overseeing Lisheen Mine II Project, Waterford City Shopping Centre Excavation Project, Drumclay Crannog Post Excavation Project, Bord na Mona Post-excavation Project (2000-13), plus the M7 & Sallins, N80 Maidenhead, N86 Lispole and N4 Catlebaldwin-Coolooney Stage (iv) road scheme projects. Paul has now joined our Kilkenny office.

Expertise

He was previously a Senior Archaeologist / Project Manager with Margaret Gowen & Co Ltd. for six years, and Valerie J Keeley Ltd. for seven years, before completing his Irish Research Council funded-doctoral research at UCD in 2018, on the role of the church in the expansion of the early medieval economy in Ireland, AD 400-1100. After that he was Senior Archaeologist / Post-excavation Manager with IAC Archaeology for the last four years. Paul has co-authored two books on Irish archaeological excavations, as well as authoring several book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, including Medieval Archaeology. His academic qualifications also include a BA Hons in Archaeology from Leicester University and a (BTEC) HND in Practical Archaeology from Bournemouth University. He has delivered international research conference papers in USA, Germany, UK and Ireland.

Other Professional Interests

He is a full member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (MIAI), and is a former Honorary Secretary and committee member of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society.

Experience

As a licenced director Steve has seen sites through from the assessment phase to post-excavation in both a rural and urban context. This experience is complemented by a number of diverse roles within the profession; notibly working with the Wood Quay and ethnographic collections in the National Museum of Ireland, working alongside the City Archaeologist in DCC, and for a seven-year period working as a researcher, surveyor and illustrator in a architectural conservation firm specialising in measured survey, planning and conservation issues, photomontages, visual impact, record photography, and restoration.

Expertise

His expertise in AutoCAD and Photoshop is utilised in the design and production of mapping and report illustrations, as well as digitising site drawings. His interests lie in the archaeology and architecture of Dublin city.

Experience

Joanne has worked across all aspects of the profession, from pre-excavation through to post-excavation. Her roles have included EIA consultant, Scheme Liaison Officer and, most recently, Post-Ex Manager. She has also been involved in the creation of various exhibitions such as The Ancient Forts of Cork in 2019 at The Cork Public Museum, Pastimes in Past Times at Fota House Museum Cork, 2019 as well as participating in various volunteer led projects such as Digivol at Australian Museum, Sydney in 2013 and Sydney Open 2012 for Sydney Living Museums.

Drawing on 22 years of professional experience, Joanne can turn her hand to any aspect of archaeological, museums and heritage projects. She currently serves on the Board of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI).

Expertise

In addition to her general interests in archaeology, Joanne specialises in the development of policy and procedures relating to archaeologically excavated collections, with a particular interest in the area of curation crisis. She is passionate about assisting museums in the pursuit of their museum standards accreditation through documentation, cataloguing and inventory. She also has a keen appreciation of the ‘Big Houses’ of Ireland and the collections they hold.

Joanne has an MA in Museum Studies from UCC and is currently a member of Irish Museum Association (IMA).

Experience

Susanne has an experience of several years as a Post-excavation Supervisor in the UK and Ireland. She has worked in the Museum of London and in private companies as a finds and environmental processor. Her work involved all aspect of the Post-excavation process, archaeological record keeping an audit, sieving, x-raying, human and animal bone processing. She has studied and worked in Archaeologist for two decades in Sweden, Ireland and UK.

Expertise

She has a MSc in Conservation Studies from the University College London Qatar and a MSc in Archaeological Science, University of Stockholm where she specialised in Metal conservation.

Experience

Conn has supervised excavations of multiple site types and periods around Ireland (M8 Fermoy-Mitchelstown Motorway, Greystones Harbour, Kilkenny Castle Parade). His field experience abroad is also wide-ranging: academic research excavations and surveys in Portugal, Greece, USA, UK and Turkey, commercial excavations and survey in Australia, and directing large and complex commercial excavations in Israel. Conn also has a background in maritime archaeology.

Conn has written, edited and coordinated a range of archaeological publications, including monograph-format reports on his excavations, as well as academic papers, specialist analyses and conference presentations. He also has extensive experience in the production of archaeological illustrations and reconstruction drawings. Since January 2021 Conn has written and edited reports on AMS findings along the route of the N5 roadway realignment in Co. Roscommon. Since August 2021 he has been editing Archaeological Survey of Ireland field reports on behalf of the National Monuments Service. Conn is a full member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland.

Expertise

Conn specialises in archaeological excavation, survey and dissemination, with research expertise in Mesolithic-Neolithic ritual, religion and ethnographic analogy (PhD, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2018) and lithic analysis.

Experience and Expertise

Geraldine has worked as both site assistant and post-ex assistant on multiple projects. In her role as post-excavation supervisor, she is now based at our Kilrush office. She has a particular interest in zooarchaeology and the interaction between humans and animals throughout prehistory.

Experience and Expertise

Ross has worked as both a site assistant and a site supervisor on major road projects in Ireland over the past number of years, including: the N86 Ballynasare Lower to Annascaul and Doonore North to Ballygarret, the N72 Stagmount Bends (both Co. Kerry), the N24 Davitt Street, Church Street (Tipperary Town) and N5 Ballaghdereen to Scramoge Road Project, Co. Roscommon Road Improvement Schemes.

As a student he also has excavation and tour guiding experience from the Spike Island Archaeological Project with University College Cork and various projects with the University of the Highlands and Islands in the Orkney Islands and wider Scotland, including the renowned Ness of Brodgar Excavation.

As part of his master’s course in Scotland, as well as being a site assistant and supervisor on various excavations, Ross also interacted and worked with members of the public (including younger audiences) through a range of outreach activities including: social media, site tours, site talks, public talks and public workshops, as well as writing several detailed blogs on each project; making the archaeology accessible and understandable to the general public.

Experience

Kevin has over seven years’ experience as an archaeologist in both the commercial and academic archaeology sectors. In addition to work as a field archaeologist, he has also worked as a palaeoenvironmental (pollen) and Bayesian chronological specialist on various major infrastructural projects in Ireland and the UK. Prior to joining AMS, Kevin worked on a number of highly impactful academic projects including the European Research Council-funded Europe’s Lost Frontiers and the Historic Environments Scotland-funded The Lairg Palaeoenvironments Project.

Expertise

Kevin has a special interest in environmental archaeology, especially palynological approaches to landscape reconstruction, and scientific dating techniques. He is also engaged in correlating records of cultural and environmental change with special reference to Bayesian approaches.

Expertise and Experience

Brigid holds a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Landscape Archaeology from NUIG. While a student, she was heavily involved with the Archaeology Society and served as Auditor for two years. As part of an effort to increase student engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and dissemination of archaeological topics, she hosted a podcast series, interviewing a variety of archaeologists, historians, and other interesting academics. Brigid has a special interest in the archaeology of the horse and the role of wilderness in society and culture.

Experience and Expertise

In the heritage and tourism fields Joanne has worked with organizations including Office of Public Works, South Tipperary Development (LEADER) Company and South Tipperary Tourism Company.  In a voluntary capacity she works with local committees to deliver archaeology and heritage related projects with an acknowledged high education value.

Experience

He has worked as a heritage consultant in Ireland and Australia for almost 20 years, and has wide experience in desktop research, impact assessment, report writing, community consultation, proofreading and editing. Between 1999 and 2003, he worked as an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Archaeologist with Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd and Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd (as EIA Manager), undertaking around 170 impact assessments for residential, commercial and infrastructure projects. He was also co-author of a nationwide study for the Irish Government examining the impact of commercial afforestation on Ireland’s archaeological heritage. From 2003 to mid-2015, Bryn lived in Western Australia, where he worked with Aboriginal heritage and became Director of his own successful consultancy (Amergin Consulting). Working in collaboration with anthropologists, archaeologists, Aboriginal communities and others, he delivered or contributed to around 300 heritage projects. The majority of this work was development-driven and included road schemes valued at up to AU$1.2BN (approx. €775M); some of the largest industrial developments in Australia including railway lines; and some of the largest mining developments in the world for proponents including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and FMG.

Expertise

Bryn is a published historian and has contributed to journal articles as well as local and international conferences, drawing on his experiences working with Aboriginal communities in Western Australia and his historical research interests in Ireland.

Experience

Steve has undertaken EIA work on a wide range of projects carrying out all aspects of the process from initial scoping to producing EIAR/ES chapters and devising mitigation strategies. EIA projects that Steve has worked on range across on- and offshore windfarms, quarries/surface mines, biomass plants, cable routes, nuclear power, harbour regeneration and road schemes. His EIA work involves all aspects of the EIA process, including undertaking setting impact assessments.

Expertise

In addition to working on EIAs, Steve has acted as geoarchaeological consultant on infrastructure projects, especially road schemes, gas pipelines, energy from waste facilities and offshore cable routes, applying his geoarchaeological expertise to develop deposit models and develop suitable sampling and recording strategies to enable the most effective mitigation of impacts on cultural heritage.

Expertise and Experience

Coming from an archaeology and folklore background, Ciara has worked with building owners, engineering and architectural firms for over 17 years to provide solutions for built heritage related issues for planning and development. She has extensive experience in surveying, assessment, planning and development enhanced by her tenure as Architectural Conservation Officer in Cork City Council.

She has also project managed a wide variety of on-site conservation projects from modest vernacular out-buildings to some of Irelands most significant structures such as St. FinBarres Cathedral, Cork, often managing and supervising works over numerous phases over several years. Ciara is expert at securing tax-relief and grant-aid for historic structures from a variety of funding avenues for private and public clients.

Ciara’s areas of special interest are vernacular cultural heritage, and retro-fit and energy upgrades in historic buildings.

Experience

In addition to undertaking desk-based assessments, managing post-excavation projects and producing technical reports and publications, Kim has directed excavations in Dublin City and its surrounding hinterlands.

Expertise

Her research interests include early prehistoric landscapes and material culture, social archaeology, and increasingly, the built environment, urban landscapes (contemporary and historic), and post-medieval archaeology. She has presented papers on her research in Ireland, England, France, Jordan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Experience

Breana has worked in commercial archaeology for 13 years. Her experience ranges from desktop-based studies to full-scale mitigations and reporting as well as traditional land use and community-based studies. These projects across Canada, the UK and Ireland, included work for government agencies, private developers, and First Nations communities.

Expertise

Her research interests include prehistoric material culture (her Masters involved the spatial analysis of a significant Paleoindian site in Canada), as well as the intersection between archaeology and anthropology as seen in traditional land use studies or community-driven research which can aid in the consultation process prior to development.

Experience

Fergal has worked in archaeology and heritage since 1998. He has several years’ experience as a field archaeologist and first started EIA work in 2000 and worked on a wide variety of schemes and projects. He worked as a freelance archaeologist and researcher from 2003 to 2012. He was awarded a scholarship in 2013 to do a Ph.D. in Maynooth University where he studied urban morphology. He is also an experienced lecturer and has delivered modules on Art and Architecture 1600-1900, Surveys and surveying in Britain and Ireland in the nineteenth century, and Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries amongst others.

Expertise

Fergal is a published historian and editor. He has written on crime in Kilkenny in the mid nineteenth century, a history of the development of towns in Mayo and a book on Connolly’s Red Mills that explores the use and re-use of this site from the medieval period to the modern day. He is the current editor of the Old Kilkenny Review and has edited the last two volumes. He has also contributed to the Kilkenny library service centenary celebrations of the War of Independence with the publication of a pamphlet on a jail break in Kilkenny in 1921.

Experience

Richard is an experienced project archaeologist on large-scale urban redevelopment projects and flood alleviation schemes in Ireland. He has directed 50 excavations, ranging from small-scale urban assessments to large-scale rural excavations in advance of road construction. He has also project managed large-scale infrastructural projects, including the assessment phase archaeological excavations on a 13km section of the M6 Galway to Ballinasloe National Road Scheme, and archaeological investigations and mitigations for the Meath Bundled Wastewater Collection Scheme.

Expertise

Richard specialises in historic landscape analysis, GIS and LiDAR analysis, buildings recording, archaeological excavation and assessment in urban environments. Richard is the project archaeologist for the Abbey Creative Quarter, Kilkenny City. He was previously a Senior Archaeologist with CRDS for ten years before completing his doctoral research in 2015, funded by the Irish Research Council, on the historic landscape of rural Ireland.

Experience

The earlier part of her career focused on developing a thorough grounding in all aspects of on-site/post-ex works, desk-based/historical research, writing technical reports and impact assessments, and supervising on-site teams.Freya also has extensive project management experience, having worked over an eight-year period managing archaeological/heritage aspects for light rail, metro and road projects for the RPA and NRA (now merged into the TII).

Expertise

More recently, following two years of post-graduate study in the theory and practice of Digital Heritage Visualisation (focusing on GIS and 3D Visualisation), Freya worked in this field as a Research Fellow in the School of Histories and Humanities, TCD. She is also a qualified osteoarchaeologist, experienced in co-ordinating cemetery excavations and undertaking specialist analysis.

Experience

Una has worked in many aspects of heritage over the past 36 years and draws on her academic qualifications in Archaeology, Geography, Paleopathology and Heritage Management, coupled with her experience of managing multipartner projects at a variety of scales. This, with her training as a sports diver and teaching the sports diving community the basics of underwater survey work as a Nautical Archaeological Tutor, gives Una a reasonable understanding of the challenges faced with multidisciplinary, multipart cultural and heritage projects in both terrestrial and marine environments.

Expertise

As site director, Una managed urban rural, large- and small-scale excavations. As a Heritage Officer Una has been involved in drafting policy and procedures at local and national level, as well as managing multipart, multidisciplinary projects within all aspects of Built Natural and Cultural Heritage.

Experience

Saoirse has several years’ experience as a field archaeologist in the UK and Ireland having worked as both a site assistant and a site supervisor on major road projects, including the N5 Ballaghdereen to Scramoge Road Project, Co. Roscommon, and the High Speed 2 (HS2).

Expertise

Saoirse has a MSc in Forensic Archaeology from Bournemouth University and a BA in Archaeology from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Her specific research interests lie in the use of Forensic Archaeology as a tool to recover human remains from a mass grave associated with State operated institutions during twentieth century in Ireland which formed the subject of her Master’s research. Saoirse is trained as a Crime Scene Investigator and Expert Witness.

Experience

Ed is a highly experienced and accomplished archaeologist and project manager. He has over 20 years’ experience working on large-scale infrastructural projects throughout Ireland and Britain, including all stages from archaeological assessment and design of fieldwork strategies to management of archaeological fieldwork.

Expertise

As a site director, he has managed many large-scale archaeological projects on behalf of archaeological contractors. He has carried out over 90 archaeological assessments and excavations and written reports for each, and has been involved in some of the largest excavations undertaken in Ireland. He also has extensive publication experience including a book entitled Monumental Beginnings, the Archaeology of the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road.

Other Professional Interests

Ed also has extensive experience providing archaeological technical advice across a wide range of projects on behalf of clients including government and semi-state bodies, local authorities, engineering consultancies, and private developers. His provision of robust management and his ability to provide cost- and time-effective solutions have ensured successful outcomes.

He currently acts as Transport Scotland’s Historic Environment Advisor on all of their Trunk Road Projects, is the appointed Office of Public Works Project Archaeologist on many of their flood relief schemes, and currently advises numerous engineering consultancies on the procurement and management of the archaeological components of their infrastructural projects.