2004:1438 - BOYLE: Bridge Street, Roscommon

The proposed development, to consist of the demolition of two buildings, an extension and sheds and the construction of a new three-storey building, is located on the west side of Bridge Street, Boyle. It is within the zone of archaeological potential for the town of Boyle. Monitoring of all machine-assisted excavation work was carried out in January 2004. The foundation trenches were situated under the perimeter walls of the proposed new building. They measured 1m wide and up to 1.5m deep. The upper 0.5–0.6m consisted of clay and rubble, with considerable amounts of early modern debris. This overlay a substantial layer of stone, with some elements of sand and clay. This appears to be deliberate infill measuring up to 0.7m deep and, like the layer above, contained early modern crockery. The infill rested atop a thick deposit of compact alluvial clay with small to medium stones. This layer was excavated to a depth of 0.2–0.4m. It appears to have been completely natural, with no sign of potential archaeological activity.