2022:953 - Bowling Green, Townparks, Galway, Galway

Archaeological monitoring of service trench excavations was undertaken between 22 November 2021 and 19 January 2022. This followed on from the archaeological excavation of medieval and post-medieval deposits on the site in June/July 2021 (2021:805). Monitoring confirmed the previously identified and much-disturbed post-medieval deposit was consistent across the site, and extended to a depth of 0.6m in places. Although not uncovered, it can be safely assumed that the underlying medieval and late medieval deposits are also extant across the site. The principal feature uncovered during monitoring was the town wall, which was exposed in section within the re-excavated cut for the mid-20^th-century service trench. The wall was well-preserved on the north-west side of the trench, where it was 1.8m thick and built entirely of green granite boulders, but was truncated by a 19th/20^th-century box drain on the south-east side. The outer face of the wall is abutted by a large culvert which runs parallel to the wall along the south-east side of Bowling Green. The presence of a large culvert here is not surprising given that Bowling Green occupies the site of a medieval watercourse or moat. Cartographic evidence indicates an open watercourse here until Bowling Green was developed in the late 18^th century. The most interesting finds from the monitoring phase are undoubtedly the three complete stone balls, two of which were found within the post-medieval deposit adjacent to the inner face of the town wall. These finely-worked limestone balls (diam. 200mm) are probably ornamental features, such as pier caps, and may be associated with the Athy Castle which was located a short distance to the southeast of the development site.