Irish Archaeological Consultancy (IAC Archaeology)

Irish Archaeological Consultancy (IAC Archaeology) is a long-established archaeological and built heritage consultancy with its head office in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow and additional offices in Belfast and Banbury. Established in 1998, the company describes itself as Ireland’s leading archaeological practice and provides consultancy, fieldwork, geophysical survey, post-excavation, built heritage and outreach services for projects across the island of Ireland and beyond.

IAC works across a wide range of sectors including transport and infrastructure, pharma, industrial and data, commercial, tourism and leisure, residential, energy, and water. Its service offering ranges from early-stage consultancy and desktop assessments through to archaeological excavation, built heritage advice, industrial archaeological surveys, geophysical survey and specialist post-excavation analysis. The company highlights its experience in helping clients navigate planning and heritage requirements in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a strong emphasis on risk management from feasibility and planning through to construction.

IAC Archaeology has a substantial team and public track record on major developments, with projects ranging from strategic housing and mixed-use developments to data centres and business parks. Publicly available company information states that IAC employs a core staff of 30 archaeologists, surveyors and project managers, with field staff of up to 350 archaeologists, making it one of the most significant archaeology consultancies operating in Ireland.

Services

• Archaeological consultancy
• Archaeological fieldwork
• Built heritage services
• Post-excavation services
• Geophysical survey
• Artefact analysis

Who they can help

IAC Archaeology can help developers, planning consultants, architects, engineers, infrastructure providers, utilities, local authorities, public bodies, renewable energy developers, residential developers, commercial project teams, data centre developers, and private landowners who need archaeological or built heritage input as part of planning, compliance, risk assessment, site investigation or construction delivery. Their service range also makes them relevant to organisations delivering water, transport, industrial, tourism, leisure and community-based heritage projects.

What else they do

Beyond standard archaeological consultancy and excavation, IAC also provides built heritage assessments, industrial archaeological surveys, geophysical surveys, post-excavation processing, artefact analysis, specialist reporting, public engagement and outreach work. The company has also been involved in education and community archaeology projects, including Ulster-Scots heritage initiatives and public open days linked to active excavations. Recent news from the company also points to expanded specialist analysis through dendrochronology.

Why choose IAC

IAC Archaeology stands out because it combines scale, multidisciplinary capability, and experience across both planning and construction stages. It has a strong record on major projects in sectors such as residential, infrastructure, water, energy and data centres, and it offers a full-service model from assessment and advice through to fieldwork, survey, mitigation and post-excavation. It's public positioning as a leading Irish archaeological practice, together with its sizeable staffing and long trading history since 1998, gives it strong credibility for larger or more complex projects.