CAREER FOCUS/Archeology: It's all in a day's work for archaeologist Edmond O'Donovan to record the discovery of artefacts from down the ages. Olivia Kelly reports

One of the most exciting things Edmond O'Donovan has ever found was a bomb - several bombs in fact, at the bottom of the Abbey River in Limerick.

"It was like the bombs you'd see in Tom and Jerry cartoons - big, black heavy spheres with the gunpowder and fuse still in them. They landed in the Abbey River, so the fuse would have gone out and they never exploded."

The bombs are extremely heavy and require three people to lift them. They are believed to have come from 1690 when William of Orange laid siege to the City of Limerick, O'Donovan says.

"These mortar bombs help to give you a picture of exactly what it would have been like in the siege. If the bombs made it across the river the damage would have been devastating. It's a remarkable experience to confront an image like that."

O'Donovan is a consultant archaeologist with Margaret Gowen and Co archaeological consultants. He discovered the mortar bombs while directing excavations in the Abbey River for the Limerick City Council drainage scheme, an on-going project that has returned a significant cache of artefacts.

"We've found objects from the Viking age, medieval times, right up the the present day. As well as the cannon balls and bombs from the siege, we've found handguns from the Civil War in 1922."

The collection of objects discovered in the Abbey River was "unusually large", O'Donovan says, and he was asked by Limerick Council to direct an exhibition of the excavated pieces.

The bulk of O'Donovan's work involves excavations in advance of developments planned by State companies, public bodies or private developers. "I advise on planning issues before development goes ahead, because you would always try to guide the client to avoid archaeology - there's a cost issue in excavating a site unnecessarily, and I direct excavations."

Excavating a site before construction takes place requires a team of archeologists, digging, taking photos and making a record of objects found. "You need one person to make sure it's all done right - and that's me," O'Donovan says. As well as directing, he must write a report of the excavation. "Half my time is spent on site and the other half in offices," he says.

O'Donovan works only in Ireland because his education and experience is very much grounded in the archaeology of Ireland and Britain. However, he does get about quite a bit within Ireland. "I try to keep travel reasonable, but I end up firing around the country."

When O'Donovan started his BA in archaeology and economics in UCD in 1988, he wasn't really sure what he wanted to do. "I thought I'd get a job out of economics, and archaeology would be a hobby." He started going on digs during the summer and become more interested in archaeology - so much so that he went back to do his master's in it in 1992. "It's one thing to study archaeology, but it's when you start working on a dig that you become fascinated with it."

O'Donovan has been working with Margaret Gowen and Co for more than seven years. He enjoys building teams of archaeologists and says that because he is involved in project work, it's very varied and he meets lots of different people.

"I love my job. It can be pressurised because the construction industry is very time-orientated, but you're only as good as your last job and knowing that keeps you on your toes."