2020:823 - Dunkellin Flood Relief Scheme (Dunkellin), Galway

The Dunkellin River Flood Relief Scheme extends from c.200m upstream of Craughwell Bridge, to c.400m downstream of Killeely Bridge near Kilcolgan in South County Galway. The works are divided into three areas: Craughwell village and environs in the east extent of the scheme, Rinn Bridge west of Rahasane Turlough in the centre, and Dunkellin Bridge to Killeely Bridge in the west extent of the scheme.

The fields on the south bank of the river immediately east of Dunkellin Bridge were stripped of topsoil in July 2020. At the riverbank, a thin topsoil layer overlay deposits of broken angular limestones and medium-sized sub-rounded cobbles. These stone deposits continued along the riverbank, deepening and extending further into the field as works progressed to the east. It is assumed that this fill is associated with the canalisation of much of this section of the river in the mid-19^th century. Much of the 19^th-century channel was rock-cut, hence the prevalence of large angular limestones within the fill. In the south, away from the riverbank, there was 0.15m of fine dark brown silt topsoil, over 0.1m of re-deposited sand, gravel and stone, over compact orange/brown coarse sandy clay with frequent stones and boulders, and occasional rock outcrop. On 13 July 2020 human remains were discovered on the rocky ground c.50m east of the bridge and c.30m south of the riverbank. A total of fifteen burials were subsequently uncovered and excavated under excavation licence 20E0407 (2020:824).