The proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill Motorway Scheme consists of approximately 41km of motorway and 11km of single dual carriageway commencing to the southwest of the existing Portlaoise Bypass and running in a southern direction tying into the existing N8 at Oldtown. A portion of the scheme runs to the west tying into the existing N7 near Borris-in-Ossory. The Archaeological Works contract is subdivided into three separate contracts. The following report describes the results of archaeological excavation along one section of the planned M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill Motorway Scheme, at Clonrud, County Laois, Contract 3. Contract 3 consists of approximately 15km of motorway, which extends north-south from the termination of the Portlaoise By-pass to Aghaboe through the townlands from Clonboyne to Gorthnaclea. The site was identified during various stages of archaeological testing carried out by Deirdre Murphy of Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd between May 2005-June 2006 under ministerial direction (A015/052) from The Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, issued in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) issued under Section 14 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004. For recording purposes the site was designated the scheme no A015/052 and record E2167. The site was designated Clonrud 4. 6 trenches were excavated within Field 239 (Plot 204) and a number of iron smelting furnaces and associated features were identified, dated to the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (See Appendix 10.2). No artefacts were recorded.